CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: Fully Submissive

Queen Calca, The Holy Queen looked at her latest report. It was bad. Every defensive and offensive force thrown at The Elf King and his army were easily overcome, the enemy taking no to minimal casualties. What'smore there were spottings of Remedios in the camps... so she was alive at least.

"I see... that's..." She dropped the parchment. Kelart Custodio winced as she had to compile the report, she understood how her queen felt.

"Then nothing we do... how can one man be so powerf..." she stopped herself, remembering the echoes of the weird goats that Momonga had summoned to save her country.

"So then... should we... ask the newly recognized Sorcerer King for help? As a Dark Elf, he should have little love for Elves, more so for the Elf king that now rules the Dark Elf nation... he might..." Kelart was suggesting but Calca rose her hand to stop her.

"We are already in his debt... to ask for it yet again would... be, we would owe him... far too much." Calca thought long about what she could do. The Holy Kingdom already publically supported the new Sorcerer Kingdom, and it's king. But that was only words, no actual aid had been sent or asked for.

"We still have time to find a way... we could... rally all our forces and meet him at the southern border," Kelart suggested futilely, even she would suggest against such action, it just made her feel better to say such things. The Queen simply reached out and held her hand.

"We are indeed fortunate he is attacking the southern nobles first... in truth, if he were to stop my power would be cemented into place because of him..." Calca said, clicking her tongue.

"What if... we hired some Adventures?" But again Calca shook her head.

"This is a political matter, two-nation waging open warfare, no Adventure team would touch this situation... we would need, his help once again... no matter how I look at this situation... it's a bad one for us," She placed the parchment down.

"What of that Neia Baraja? I heard she's been doing 'good things' in his name?" Calca asked making finger quotes. Kelart nodded but with a bit of a frown.

"Yes... her um, street-side sermons have gathered more than just a few crowds now... through donation she now resides in a house with a balcony she stands from and talks about "The Sorcerer King and how he saved our Nation"... it seems she's developed a bit of a gift for talking to a crowd... why?" Kelart asked confused.

"Well... maybe we can use her? Have her ask on... the behalf of his followers?" Calca thought but Kelart turned with a serious expression.

"MY QUEEN! If... If you were to that, and allow his help... it would be the same as officially recognizing his "followers" as a real religion! Before long Neia Baraja would be in your seat!" Kelart protested. Calca sighed.

"Yes, but... no matter what I do, it just seemed like asking The Sorcerer King for help is my only option..." The Queen let out another stress-filled sigh.

"What if we ask to become a vassal state? It's..." Calca had been thinking this too, but they would be at the mercy of Momonga's bargaining leverage... he could ask her for anything, even her hand in...

"That's it! We will ask for to be a vassal state to the Sorcerer Kingdom... the nobles that would oppose this... well they are all well and dead or will be soon, thanks to the Elf King..." Calca nodded at her own visualization of the problem.

"It... almost seems too perfect my Queen... like some grand plan is moving pieces around a board..." Kelart said shaking her head and frowning, part of her wondered if all this wasn't set up by the Sorcerer King himself.

"Yet... if he asks too much... and we are forced to reject the offer... no, what could he ask for that would be worse than annihilation by the Elf King..." Calca said and pulled out a fresh parchment and began writing.

"I've heard he's lowered taxes in his region by 80%... does this sound like someone who would suddenly be greedy?" Calca asked looking up at her friend. Kelart just shook her head again and remained silent.

She could imagine the ruckus her sister Remedios would be making right now... but her sister was in the hands of The Elf King, so who knows what her condition is... but she could take a guess.

"Then... who shall deliver the request?" Kelart asked, already knowing the answer.

"Please, Kelart? You're the only one I trust to do this for me..." Calca asked squeezing her hand firmly. Kelart let out a small sigh and nodded.

"As you wish My Queen... I shall assemble an escort and head out immediately... by the time I get to E-Rantel the Elf King will probably be pushing our southern border anyway..." Kelart said as she turned to leave.

"Take Neia with you..."

"My Queen?" Kelart looked stunned.

"She is still a squire, yes? She will be your from here on out..." Calca announced in an official manner that suggested she was not asking, this was an order. Kelart blinked trying to understand.

"May... I ask why, then?" Calca smiled.

"I feel she may show Master Momonga that we seriously appreciate him down here in the Holy Kingdom... being as outspoken as she is about his exploits and our... support of it." Kelart nodded.

"Very well, I will have word sent to her... oh, her mother requires aid, she was among the paladins during... our salvation."

Calca frowned. Many of the Paladins that had survived the war either threw down their swords and returned home or were too emotionally shattered to be considered fit for active duty... even the ones that were not shaken by what they saw, the few that there were, were some of Neia's biggest supporters. Some of the veteran Paladins saw true power and did not shy away from it...

"Okay, have a priestess assigned to her mother for her absence... and Kelart, be careful..." Kelart nodded and went to do as she was ordered.

Within a day Kelart Custodio and Neia Baraja were supplied and their escort left the gates of the Holy capital... the trip would take over a month and a half as they would have to travel the northern route through Re-Lobell, then through the Re-Estize capital and finally to E-Rantel... if they were lucky they would not run into any trouble... but The Elf King could very well have scouts on the lookout for aid seekers such as they...