Chapter 37: Cast Down Your Kings (Part 10)

The sight of Merlin with her lips pursed and tongue sticking out slightly - a gesture of concentration and utter focus that was far removed from her usual antics and smug self assurance - had Harris deciding that the Magus of Flowers could actually be rather adorable when she let herself be.

"Even if she might take offense to such an inelegant and patronizing descriptor."

Resisting the urge to chuckle and potentially disrupt her focus Harris instead watched her work, elegant robes discarded and replaced by a simple apron that covered her bodysuit, bare feet sinking slightly into the soil as she crouched low, watching and attending to an olive tree as she gently stroked the angular leaves into the proper vibrancy and vigor with nothing but careful application of her magecraft that was probably more intrinsic desire than it was an actual process at this point, the shapeshifter quietly walking among the dozens of other plots of land Merlin had been hard at work creating and guiding.

Aside from olives there was an entire slew of crops that weren't of the usual variety, all of them what might be considered luxuries or at the very least unusual for the times…and it was that unconventional growing that was ideally going to lead to all sorts of interesting reactions and interactions going forward.

He ran his hand through a section of tangerine plants, their dark green leaves smelling positively heavenly as each one had an interesting twist to its plot, one more humid than the rest, the other cooler and one almost arid in constitution. It was an inspired method of testing and experimentation given her abilities, to discover whether the next wave of plants and other greenery would be able to survive whatever climate they found themselves in. Factor in the accelerated time scale she'd grown them in and they were going to have a bevy of data in short order.

"Admiring my work~?

"It may not seem impressive at first glance but once you get into the specifics and intricacies of the whole project it's actually quite sophisticated."

A soft and earthy smelling body pressed itself against his back, lithe arms looping around his neck as Merlin hummed in contentment at the position, lazily commenting, "It's been quite some time since I've devoted myself to doing something as simple but ultimately satisfying as this. I'd honestly forgotten the joy of watching and guiding my plants to both thrive and prosper in whatever climates I set them against."

A svelte finger pointed to where a clutch of cherries were displaying different levels of health, the best among them practically falling off the stem with bounty while the runt of the litter was at least serviceable.

"Sweeping politics of an entire kingdom, guiding and watching over warriors and knights of every emotional stripe, whirlwind romances and adventures across a fair portion of the world…the simpler and more unexciting things in life fell by the wayside and now I wonder what fever possessed me to forget about them in the first place."

"Well, since we're on the subject of taking it easy and enjoying the little things…"

He smirked at the woman's brief yelp swiftly followed by an amused giggle he carried the Magus into the shade provided by a nearby tree, dropping them into a tangled sprawl as they simply enjoyed the cooling breeze and moment of tranquility.

"Lift your arm, please."

Obliging his partner's request Merlin snuggled into his side, shamelessly throwing a leg over his waist before dramatically yawning, contritely asking, "So how are you enjoying your latest caper? I'll admit that it seems a great deal more relaxed than our previous endeavors."

"True enough. Even if Japan never devolved into a fight or anything like that there was always some meeting or threat of execution by Amaterasu that I had to deal with. The past two weeks have been pretty relaxing in comparison."

After their little debate with Eae things had more less devolved into a state of mild cold war, all three factions poking and prodding their noses into each other's business as they tried to avoid even small skirmishes.

…Well, Heaven and the Leraje had been doing all of that, Harris and his cohorts only had one parcel of land to look after for the moment and weren't particularly worried what everyone else was doing at the moment since they didn't seem ready to commit to any moves.

"Dare I say that everything has actually been kinda fun? Just wandering around and brainstorming without any immediately pressing issues has been pretty damn entertaining. Best part is that no one can really stop or track me"

Inbetween his absolutely miniscule and undetectable magic signature, shapeshifting and bevy of ways to jump around the world that ranged from Pokemon to Warhammer in variety it was almost laughably easy to go where he pleased with no worry of getting jumped in an alleyway.

"So in summary…yeah, it's been fun."

"And while that's gratifying to hear I can think of somethings that would be even more fun to partake of~..."

Straddling his body and shucking the apron to the side in a single, clean motion Merlin made a show of raising her arms above her head and languidly stretching, suit accentuating every curve and swell of her perfect body.

"As much as I've enjoyed my work it's very difficult to focus when there are just so many other urges to take care of in life, ones that itch and burn and sometimes need a good scratching, hmm~?"

Letting his hands gently caress warm and gently undulating hips Harris mused, "Well I can think of a few alterations and novel ideas that should be of great interest to you, Succubus that you are."

"Well don't leave a blushing maiden waiting, Master. All this foreplay and-"

THONK!"

"-OW!"

Est flew back to Robin's side several dozen meters distant, neatly slotting into the tactician's belt loop as said tactician gave Merlin a pointed glare, the Magus of Flowers pouting as she rubbed her head where Est's pommel had impacted.

"Tch. As if they have any ground to stand on when it comes to carnal matters."

Chuckling to himself Harris settled for gently stroking his companion's cheek, the pale-haired woman nuzzling into the gesture like a satisfied cat.

"Considering how intense things would get I don't doubt we'd end up distracting most of the Extra Legion and give them something to think about. Even Cherry would be left blushing red at some of the scenarios I have cooked up for you."

"Stop trying to wind me up."

Chuckling at Merlin's complaint he rose to his feet, the Magus manifesting her robes and donning them as they watched the Legion in question undergo rigorous training at the hands of Robin as she ran them ragged.

…Well, at first glance it might just seem that the strategist in question was pacing back and forth an empty field. At least until she shouted, "NOW!"

With a flurry of activity portals disgorged battle ready Legion soldiers, cloaking spells revealed charging warriors where before only grass and dirt had been visible while more simple physical concealment was pushed away in sprays of turf and leaves.

Within three seconds rough but efficient encirclement formations had been created, magic circles, weapons and other intrinsic techniques native to some species primed and ready to fire…and Robin explosively sighed, dryly stating, "Three seconds is two seconds too many. Even for Humans one second can be enough to recognize and react to a threat if they're well trained and prepared. For foes every bit your equal if not superior? Ideally your ambushes should be instant. Stand down."

A chorus of curses, complaints and groans filled the area as the Legion relaxed and in some cases outright threw themselves onto the ground, Bardock grumbling, "We weren't trained to fight like this, you're asking for a lot."

"Ordinarily I would agree but let's not pretend that you hold your previous military affiliation and its accompanying strategies in any form of high regard."

Cherry whined as she laid flat on the ground, complaining, "How is this supposed to help us anyway? We're up against big formations and this is supposed to help?"

"It's supposed to allow you to win. In any form of conventional battle you would be destroyed, either by superior numbers, superior power or superior training. Thus we will have to be unconventional and that begins with concealment and evasion."

Never one to use only the stick when a bit of carrot was called for Robin allowed a smile to grace her lips, remarking, "You're all learning this much faster than I dared hope, I have little doubt that by the time arrives for you to use it you will have little difficulty implementing these strategies."

"Yeah, well…we're used to following crazy orders from assholes."

Robin merely smirked at that remark, nodding at Harris and Merlin's approach as she said, "Three weeks and we'll be ready."

"In that case I'll go ahead and call Levi here to examine what we've started. That is if you're confident you can show and explain everything to him, Merlin."

The Magus smirked, teasing, "If you believe I cannot properly explain my own creations and process to another then you have severely underestimated me, Master. Rest assured, by the time he leaves Levi will understand the majesty of what I've wrought."

"When your companion provided the details of what you would require I will confess that this is not even close to what I imagined it would end up looking like."

The banker cast a meaningful glance around the terrain, where concealed Legion members vastly outnumbered the few visible ones on meandering patrol routes, the sight of several mixed species guarding what was essentially an oversized and sprawling garden no doubt an odd one to the man.

"Well we do try to be unpredictable, not only does it make life more interesting it also grants our friends and foes alike all manner of horrific migraines. And I've never pretended to be a good friend among pleasant company before."

"Would you take offense if I said that sounds like a polite fiction?"

Harris grinned at Levi's dry comment.

"None whatsoever."

Seeming resigned to the shapeshifter's antics Levi instead looked to the improvised garden, asking, "Some of these I recognize, some of them I don't. I assume the point of this meeting is to explain the benefits of those that I do not?"

"As well as the benefits of those you profess to recognize that I daresay remain largely untapped. For example take these cherry trees, you're aware of their required growth period, yes?"

"Four years at best before they properly bear fruit, if memory serves. Agriculture isn't something I'm much of an expert in."

"Well you're in luck, because if you're willing to accept a more tart and less sweet cherry they are much easier to grow, self-pollinating and resistant to a great number of common ailments. Were they able and willing to do so, each and every farmer could have a cherry tree available for consumption. And I would be remiss not to mention the health benefits."

"Health benefits?"

Merlin guided Levi to a rather harsh plot of land where a couple rounded fruits nonetheless sprouted from the less than ideal soil, hanging off of the heavy branches with obvious vigor.

"Cherries are quite nutritious and carry within them a number of antioxidants. Or, to put it more simply, they are quite adept at fighting off diseases that affect the heart or lungs."

Interest now piqued Levi observed the tree with obvious intrigue, asking, "You grew this with magic, did you not? While I am obviously curious for a multitude of reasons you must understand that not all people are capable of esoteric feats, let alone ones as potent as yours."

Merlin smirked, purring, "Afford me a little bit of credit, banker. While I did indeed alter these with magic all that I changed was the speed at which they grow, the conditions and health of the soil as well as ambient temperature were all what you may find in any part of Lombardy, to better give an idea of what is viable or not in various locales."

Grandly gesturing to the many plots of land and different life forms growing upon them the Magus concluded her little spiel with, "As long as the gardener is of passable skill and knowledge then all that you see before you may be added to this land's repertoire of crops, available within just a few short years for consumption or export."

Accepting the offered olive from a vibrant plant further down the row Levi thoughtfully chewed on it, eventually stating, "I'm beginning to fully understand why you believe that your designs will doubtlessly bear fruit - no pun intended - if this is as possible as you proclaim it to be. There exists the problem of where to procure enough seeds and saplings to sustain growing all across Lombardy-"

"Ahem~!"

Merlin's cute wave and attention grabbing move had the man raising an eyebrow, asking, "You can create that many?"

"I created all of these from scratch, a multitude of ungrown ones will be child's play in comparison."

Frowning at that admission the banker carefully replied, "I will freely admit to the idea of growing crops all across the land crafted by one of your skill and reputation is worrying on many levels."

Harris merely chuckled, stating, "Think of it this way, if we wanted to turn all of Lombardy into drooling zombies we wouldn't have bothered putting the whole process down on paper and making sure you knew about it, we would have just done so and called it a day before anyone even knew what we were up to."

"I strongly dislike that I find myself agreeing with that assessment."

Levi's dry tone was complimented by another stare around the growing fields…and a brief glint in his eye as the money maker within took over.

"Provided they can be grown consistently and in sufficient numbers I can see these being quite profitable as luxury goods."

"Not just luxury goods. All of these that I have are quite nutritious and good for the body in one way or another. Supplying them to both buyer and local will see a general increase in productivity and health."

She paused, briefly shrugging before adding, "Well, as long as they don't have too many sugar beets in one place."

"Maybe we should start a dentistry clinic alongside the crops. Make money on two fronts."

Levi made the smart decision and ignored their antics, instead focusing on future prospects before abruptly shaking his head, musing, "To think I would see the day such a curious situation arose. To have one who serves a Satan himself be more invested in the prosperity and enabling of Lombardy itself, even though such a tactic will doubtlessly anger many of their opposing forces."

He raised an eyebrow, inquiring, "Or is there another reason you have many Extra Legion forces remaining hidden and concealed outside of the ones on visible patrol?"

"Oh, you recognize them?"

Levi blandly replied, "They are…distinct, even among the myriad of Legions that the Devils field."

"They're also the best possible soldiers Lucifer could have accidentally gifted me."

"That is somehow not a very surprising statement to hear."

Setting aside the momentary diversion Harris met Levi's gaze directly, asking, "Well? Is our agreement still in effect? I offer you this, the ability to bring great prosperity to both Lombardy and your coffers-"

"-and in return you receive ownership of the lands that will grow them."

The banker closed his eyes for a moment, quietly musing, "What strange times, that you appear as the lesser of the many evils we currently face."

"Lesser than Heaven? My good man, I'm flattered."

"Heaven is a close ally and friend of humanity…but I am not blind to the fact that many sects and individuals - even Eae herself, compassionate to Humanity she may be - are more interested in our continued survival and faith than our prosperity. Things that do not always go hand in hand."

The man nodded to himself, firmly stating, "To answer your earlier question, yes. Our agreement holds and I shall honor it. I will contact you upon drafting up the proper wording and legitimacy that will be recognized by all."

"Very much obliged."

A few more minutes passed as they hammered out the details of what would be needed and desired but before long Levi was on his way, Harris looking towards the sky with a contented smile as - if he imagined it hard enough - there might have been a distant flash of white wings before they retreated.

Grayfia had assumed that finally being able to speak with her master would alleviate much of the stress she had been experiencing, that it would provide a sense of clarity and direction that she had been sorely missing the past few weeks as she attempted to both account for Harris Xavier's bevy of concerning actions as well as the general distrust and distaste that her fellow Devils and those of the Extra Legion held for her very presence.

While she was not unused in the slightest to being the unwanted hanger on in any particular scenario - that was the definition of her duty as the mouth and fist of Lord Lucifer - she had rarely ever had to do so without the familiar presence of her brother and authoritative figure of her master for such extended periods of time in such trying scenarios.

And wasn't that a paradigm to consider? That a trial without so much as a single amount of danger to her physical wellbeing was somehow more traumatic than she would have ever considered or thought possible.

"And what have you to say about your time spent observing Xavier and the rest, Grayfia?"

Lucifer's magically projected visage landed on both Serafall and Sirzechs, the pair kneeling alongside her as their expressions remained stoic and unwavering.

"Does there appear to be any signs or inclinations towards disloyalty or betrayal?"

From the Sitri and Gremory scions, no. As for Harris and his cohorts, as well the Extra Legion?"

She prepared herself to reveal every frustration and irritation she had suffered through without exception, to finally and properly vent to someone who was in a position to do something about the source of her distress…and faltered as she gazed upon the visage of her master.

There was no cool and calculated patience as he awaited upon her report, no indication that he cared at all about whatever it was she might say…all she saw was a ravenous, impartial hunger as he gazed at her current companions, the expression feral and disconcerting in a way that defied her powers of description.

"It is still too early to say or draw any definitive conclusions. While I have seen the possibility of betrayal or ignoring your commands I would not describe it as a foregone conclusion. It may be as simple as Xavier and the rest not wishing to consort with one they wholeheartedly believe is against them."

She let her gaze pointedly land on where Serafall and Sirzechs kneeled.

"To that end it is in the best interests of both of them to properly cooperate and discern what Xavier and the rest of the Extra Legion are attempting to do in Lombardy."

"Indeed it is. I should hope that I don't need to remind you of the consequences of failing in your test of loyalty. You would not wish to disappoint your families, would you?"

"...No, Lord Lucifer."

Sirzech's tone was cold but nonetheless subservient, the Satan deeming that an acceptable enough response as without further comment or expression he vanished in a quick flurry of light, bringing the meeting to an end.

"Why didn't you tell him that Harris is maybe redeemable when it's pretty clear that he's plotting treason and not even trying to hide it?"

Grayfia pursed her lips at Serafall's wary question, not sure of how to answer it herself before instead stating, "I did not suggest that you be sure of Harris' loyalty merely to placate my lord, if you truly desire to live out this campaign then ascertain his designs. If we know what he plans then there exists a way to mold or alter it so that we may benefit."

There was little else to be said as the pair of Devils departed with curious looks directed her way, the Lucifuuge heavily sitting herself in a nearby chair and releasing a small, exhausted sigh.

Why had she been so quick to perform what was essentially a betrayal of her lord's trust?

It must have been something in the air and she was rapidly becoming desensitized to it.