AN: I mentioned at the start of this story that this story shouldn't exceed 20 chapters. Now that I'm writing it and realising how much I'd need to do it justice, 30 or more chapters is sounding more likely.
Lescatie is humanity's bulwark against the monster hordes, Wilmarina Noscrim thought. All of its people have a duty to remain steadfast.
Lescatie is humanity's bulwark against the monster hordes. All of its people have a duty to remain steadfast.
It was one of the most basic lessons that every citizen of Lescatie, from royalty to beggars, learned. And without repeating it constantly, she wouldn't be able to get through the current conversation.
"I've renovated my second mansion just recently, and I'm holding a banquet to celebrate. Would you be interested in attending, Lady Wilmarina?"
"That mansion is rather old, I suspect no amount of renovation could make it fitting for a hero. But, Lady Wilmarina, I've just constructed an entirely new mansion, would you like to—"
"That new mansion is on the small side, I wouldn't think it suitable for—"
The common people of Lescatie thought of its upper classes as being "noble" in every aspect of their lives. As someone who had to experience it routinely, Wilmarina knew that high-class society was filled with petty rivalries and power games, all disguised beneath polite smiles and eloquent words.
Currently talking to Wilmarina were a man and a woman from two different noble families, House Semel and House Millen, who'd been at odds since before she was born. And inviting Lescatie's most famous hero to their home would give one of their families an advantage over the other… which was why they'd been badgering her for the past three minutes. And before them had been half-a-dozen others.
If there was one good thing about all this, it was that Wilmarina rarely needed to say anything beyond a non-committal "That sounds lovely" or "Thank you for your support". There were so many nobles jostling for the chance to speak to her that they got in each other's way.
Eventually, Wilmarina said, "You honour me with your offers. I must ask for some time to think about them before giving an answer. In that time, I'd like to start partaking in the selection of food on offer."
The crowd of nobles parted way, then avoided following Wilmarina as she made her way to a table. No matter how eager they were for her attention, interrupting her at this point would be an unforgivable breach of etiquette. In the high society of Lescatie, that was worse than any physical scar.
Wilmarina walked along a long table with countless dishes piled on top of it. There was roasted beef, pork slathered in savoury sauces, salmon garnished with a mix of vegetables, and various tropical fruits. The last of these would have been the most expensive: to get them to the northern nation of Lescatie would have required an express wagon with cooling spells to prevent the fruit from spoiling. Yet all this was merely the entrées, with the main courses and desserts yet to come.
And was this feast to commemorate a royal wedding, a victory against the monsters, or some other important event? It was certainly important in the minds of most of those present. But when Wilmarina looked at all of the food on offer, the opulent cutlery and crockery it was served with, and the custom-tailored clothing worn by the guests and host, she wondered if it was really necessary for a mere birthday party of an earl's daughter. With just a quarter of the money spent on this party, it would be possible to repair some of Lescatie's aging fortifications.
But… bringing up that topic here would be meaningless, Wilmarina thought.
Wilmarina took a little from each of the dishes on the table and piled it onto a plate. Not because it was her preference, but because if she was seen to favour any one dish, the other nobles would put out absurdly large quantities of that dish the next time they invited her. That would just make the event's food monotonous for everyone involved.
With her plate filled up, Wilmarina found a quiet spot in the party and began to eat. She tried to tune out the chatter of the other nobles, which was mostly about topics she'd heard a thousand times before.
Still, there was one topic she couldn't help but eavesdrop on.
"Have you heard of Hero Mersé? The one training new recruits to the army?"
"I certainly have. It's hard to avoid hearing about the hero who surrounds herself with only men. Almost as if being near other women might… lead to unfavourable comparisons."
There was a light burst of laughter.
"That might be one reason, but there is another. Some whisper that she only trains male soldiers because she has… quite shameless desires towards them."
"That can't be! Though when you put it that way, it does sound possible…"
Wilmarina felt the urge to interrupt on Mersé's behalf. Having met the older hero on a few occasions, she was well aware of Mersé's skills in fighting monsters and training others to do the same. She'd more than earned her title as a hero of Lescatie.
Her only real flaw was excessive fraternisation with a certain one of her soldiers. This was a purely objective observation that had nothing to do with Wilmarina's feelings.
But if they're saying such things in this public space, their opinions must be shared by others. Changing their opinions will not be easy… Still, I ought to do something.
After finishing her food, Wilmarina rejoined the crowd and began talking about her past battles, including one she'd fought alongside Mersé.
-ooo-
After an infuriating amount of talking and the main courses and the desserts, Wilmarina was finally able to escape—no, to leave the party.
Wilmarina left the dining hall and began walking down a beautiful corridor. The walls were lined with ornate statues and grand paintings, the floors covered in gorgeous carpeting of a deep red, golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and there wasn't a single speck of dust to be seen anywhere. Just the environment a hero was expected to be in.
If we spent less of our budget on artwork and furniture, we might be able to slay more monsters while taking fewer casualties of our own.
It was a pleasant idea, and Wilmarina wasn't even the first to think of it. The city garrison reported old sections of the walls that needed repair. The soldiers out on expeditions reported shortages of food, clothing, medicine and sometimes even weapons. But every time she or someone else had suggested devoting more money to defence, they'd been firmly and politely denied.
"The bravery of our heroes is what keeps Lescatie strong, not a few coins"… "Faith in the Chief God is more valuable than any amount of gold"…
If money is of so little importance, why are they all so keen to keep it for themselves…? But I shouldn't say that out loud.
Wilmarina was a hero who inspired the people. She could lead its forces against an army of monsters and prevail. But she couldn't do anything that might make the people lose faith. She couldn't question the decisions of the nobility.
Just as she couldn't be near a common servant, not without hurting him and his entire family.
Wilmarina froze in place. The memory of a smiling red-headed boy flashed across her mind, followed by a more recent memory of a young man.
No… I told myself that I wouldn't break. That I'd do what was best for everyone.
Quickening her pace, Wilmarina left the mansion entirely. She met a familiar face outside.
"Did you enjoy yourself in there, Lady Wilmarina?" asked Luciana Sausare.
Luciana was a young woman seventeen years of age, the same as Wilmarina herself. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and eyes of a similar colour. She wore a pale blue jacket with gold trim that left her navel bare, a deep blue skirt with high slits on both sides, and leather boots. A longsword was sheathed at her hip.
"Well… the food was certainly excellent, as was the internal décor," Wilmarina replied.
Luciana was a skilled knight and Wilmarina's deputy, and thus normally would have accompanied her to an event like this. Certainly, Wilmarina would have appreciated her company. But despite her hard-earned skills, Luciana was of common birth, her parents being rabbit farmers. Wilmarina had brought Luciana to one previous party… the attention she'd received then had caused Luciana to politely decline any further offers.
"I'm sure the people there were grateful to see Lady Wilmarina amongst them," Luciana said. "Is there anything else you'd like to do in this area?"
"There's nothing else," Wilmarina said, trying to keep the relief out of her voice. "Let's head for Salvarision."
Luciana nodded, then she and Wilmarina jumped up to the roof of the nearest building. They began travelling northward, each step propelling them to the roof of a new building.
Moreover, they weren't the only ones travelling this way. Other heroes could also be seen running across rooftops in the distance. For those with the necessary agility, it was the quickest way of travelling the city.
In a matter of minutes, Wilmarina and Luciana left the capital of Lescatie and reached the castle city of Salvarision.
It looks even more beautiful after returning from that party, Wilmarina thought, gazing at the splendid buildings and clean streets. It feels as if I've left the more frustrating aspects of Lescatie behind…
…if only that were truly the case.
Salvarision had, fundamentally, been founded to showcase the might of the Noscrim family that Wilmarina was heir to. The people here might be loyal to Wilmarina, but many of them would be more loyal to her family in general. An unknown number of them would be spies—even if that term wasn't used in polite society—here to ensure Wilmarina continued serving House Noscrim's interests above all.
The two women eventually arrived at Castle Salvarision in the centre of the city. This was a magnificent edifice with four main floors and five towers that reached even greater heights. All around it were flags of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower. It was far grander than any of the mansions that lesser nobles possessed, only exceeded by the royal castle of Lescatie—a perfect summation of House Noscrim's position.
They entered the castle—passing by many guards and servants who bowed deeply—and made their way to a training yard within.
This was much more elaborate than the training yards used by regular soldiers, with magically reinforced training dummies and servants waiting by the edge with refreshments. But in other aspects it was similar. The air was filled with the smells of dust and sweat, the clashes of weapons and the shouts of knights at practice.
"Taaaaake… this!"
A hero in a highly revealing black outfit stepped forward, thrusting a rapier with the speed of a gale.
"Ah! That almost got me! But you're not dodging this!"
Her opponent was another hero who wore a mostly brown outfit and carried a strange metal tube—a revolver. This second hero aimed carefully and fired six shots in quick succession. The first hero dodged four shots and parried the remaining two, but this hindered her long enough for the second hero to reload.
"Unfortunately…"
A third hero, this one dressed in purple, entered the fray. She fired a barrage of bullets from her own revolver and, due to being distracted, the other two heroes were both hit multiple times. Their heroic resilience meant the bullets didn't even draw blood, but did unbalance them slightly.
"Wait, wait—ouch!"
The second hero quickly pulled out a short sword, only to be knocked down in an instant by the third hero's rapier. The first hero put up more of a fight, parrying and counterattacking with her own rapier, only to be knocked down as well.
"Alameria, Paula, both of you were too focused on each other," said the third hero, sheathing her rapier. "You must remember to keep track of all enemies in a battle."
"Understood…" "G-Got it, Olivie…"
The other two heroes stood up and dusted themselves off.
"And, Alameria, you should put more effort into some form of ranged attack," continued Olivie Amaltia.
"I understand that, I really do," said Alameria Crescentria, the hero in black. She adjusted her hat with one hand. "But I can never seem to hit any targets with a gun…"
"If firearms aren't your preference, you could try learning more spells." Olivie suggested. "It's something to consider, at least. And Paula, you ought to work harder on your close-quarters fighting skills. You can't always take down every enemy from a distance."
"I'll try…" said Paula Tronmail, the hero in brown. "But with everyone else backing me up, that shouldn't happen much, right?"
"It's always a possibility, just like Alameria needing to fight at range is always a possibility," Olivie said. "You should therefore prepare yourself for when that happens."
These were the Three Musketeers, a trio of heroes who were part of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower. They came from a variety of backgrounds and had different fighting styles, but they had a common theme in their outfits, which were all a mix of fabric and metal plating and included wide-brimmed hats. They were also close friends and fought together in almost every battle.
Wilmarina walked up to the Three Musketeers, Luciana trailing close behind her. The Three Musketeers quickly turned and bowed their heads in greeting.
"Hello, Lady Wilmarina," Olivie said. "Did you enjoy the birthday party of Earl Serif's daughter?"
"I'm guessing that it was all great except for the people," Alameria said lightly.
"Alameria!" Luciana exclaimed.
Wilmarina simply laughed. "Perhaps, but you should be careful about saying such things in public. Now, if you're finished with training for today, I'd like you all to join me for a meeting."
The mood abruptly changed from casual to tense.
"Is this related to the recent reports of increased monster activity?" Olivie asked.
"Yes," Wilmarina replied. "There's still much we don't know about the situation, but what little we do know suggests they might be readying an attack. That's why I'd like us all to meet to discuss this."
"If the monsters attack, it's even more important for us to be ready," Paula said, inspecting her pistol with practiced ease.
-ooo-
A few minutes later, all of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower was gathered in a meeting room. It was quite comfortable with a round oak table carrying various refreshments, plush chairs to sit on, and thick carpeting of red velvet. But now wasn't the time to relax.
Seated to Wilmarina's left was Luciana followed by the Three Musketeers. Standing behind Alameria was a young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, wearing a wool gambeson over a blue shirt and pants. This was Marion Effert, a knight from a low-ranking noble family and Alameria's partner from her earliest days as a hero. He would be sitting down if Alameria had gotten her way, but he insisted on standing during meetings—not too different from Luciana's situation regarding the social events of nobles.
Seated to Wilmarina's right were other members of the Order: a woman with waist-length blonde hair and clad in sturdy armour; a teenage girl with long blue hair who wore a blue dress as frilly as it was expensive; a quiet-looking woman with long black hair that covered her right eye; a slender teenage boy with dark blue hair who could be mistaken for a girl at first glance; and a silver-haired man in primarily red clothing of the finest quality.
"Now that we are all gathered here, I'd like to begin," Wilmarina said. She picked up a small pile of reports from the table. "There have been a growing number of monster sightings, with twelve in the past week alone. There's also rumours of people in the outlying villages disappearing. Some of these are likely to be wild gossip, of course, but if even half are true, it is cause for concern."
None disputed this point. Lescatie was, by most accounts, the nation with the greatest force of heroes in the world, backed up by a large army of common soldiers. Few monsters dared to even cross its borders… under normal circumstances, at least.
"I've been told that Hero Mimil was sent out to investigate," Wilmarina said. "However, I haven't heard anything about her returning yet."
"She's gone out on her own again… it's foolhardy," said Vermut Rosnair, the blonde woman in armour. "Even a skilled hero can benefit from having allies to watch their back."
"It must be because of her common birth," said Parshe Lufarshe, the teenage girl. "No noble would ever be so reckless. Just because she happens to have some skill at magic, she's let it get to her head!"
That caused a stir among the rest of the Order. Alameria and Luciana, who were themselves of common birth, looked askance at Parshe. Interestingly, so did the silver-haired man with red eyes who sat in the corner… even though he came from a family as high-ranking as Wilmarina's.
"While I agree that she should not be doing solitary missions, I doubt it has anything to do with her origins," Wilmarina said, her tone cold. "I'm sure many of us have seen those of noble birth acting recklessly."
Parshe shrank back, visibly ashamed. To Wilmarina's left, Luciana quietly lowered her head and mouthed "Thank you".
Still, it was true that Mimil was being reckless. The young mage was one of the few heroes in Lescatie who was largely independent instead of being in a faction, like Wilmarina's Order of the Holy Ice Flower. While Mimil was part of Magitec, by all accounts this was a purely professional relationship and she had no real loyalty to them. If there was anyone Mimil was loyal to, it might be that common soldier she was infamous for talking to on a regular basis.
...something Wilmarina wished she'd stop doing. She didn't need more people to envy for their closeness to Elt.
"Returning to the main topic, these sightings also include an unusually large variety of monsters: goblins, werewolves, alraunes, even a sighting of dark elves," Wilmarina continued. "Combined with their numbers, it suggests that they may be making a major push towards Lescatie."
"Could they be planning to conquer the outlying villages?" Luciana suggested. She sounded worried, which was only natural since she'd been born in one of those villages. "As they can't take either Salvarision or the capital, they might be aiming for the villages so they can reduce the taxes we receive."
"It would also be a blow to our morale, and increase their own numbers at the same time," Olivie said. "If so, it would be a sound strategy. It's fortunate we learned of this so early, otherwise they could have taken a considerable amount of land already…"
"We've got to stop them!" Paula said, slamming a fist on the table to accentuate her point. "We can't let them turn innocent people into more monsters!"
"We do, but it might be a bit tough," Alameria said. "Lescatie's a big country, and there's a lot of small villages scattered around… we might have to mobilise most of the heroes, knights and soldiers."
"If they're gathering like this, they should have a strong leader uniting them," said Kirsch, the quiet woman with black hair. "Killing her would throw the other monsters into chaos, making it easier to eliminate them."
"Or... it might make the task more difficult," said Eva Mystiv, the slender boy. "Without a leader, they would probably scatter and launch a hundred uncoordinated attacks. Due to the size of Lescatie and its often-rough terrain, it would be difficult to hunt them all down."
"Then what do you suggest, Eva?" asked Lucas Mayer, the silver-haired man.
"I've read through all of the reports, and I've written up a number of potential strategies," Eva replied. "If I could have everyone's attention for a moment…"
"Yes, please proceed," Wilmarina said.
Eva stood up from his chair. He was dressed in a pale blue shirt that left his navel bare, a dark blue jacket with gold trim, shorts of a similar style and long brown boots. He was often prone to nervousness but at this moment, he spoke with a confident voice:
"First of all, we must learn as much as we can about the monsters: their numbers, types, leadership and approximate locations. All of my strategies have this as the first step. At the same time, we must hide our own knowledge of the monsters from them, so our scouts will need to be stealthy and know the wilderness of Lescatie well… I believe we should enlist Hero Primera to help with this step."
"The half-elf?" Lucas said. "She would certainly be well-suited for this task, but… it depends on if she'd agree to do it."
"W-Well, I'm sure she'd agree to helping keep Lescatie safe," Eva said, his confidence slightly wavering. "I've already sent off a request to get her help."
"But even if she's willing, how long would it take for her to get the request?" Parshe pointed out. "That half-elf thinks herself too good to follow the same rules as the rest of us. The whole reason she knows about the wilderness is because she spends all her time in it. The higher-ups actually have to send out some common soldier to her whenever they want her to do something."
This distrust of Primera Concerto was couched in logic, but Wilmarina felt that it ultimately stemmed from prejudice. Due to their status, heroes had an immense amount of leeway in their actions: Alameria's skimpy clothing was another example of this. Primera had a record of fulfilling any orders given to her, which was ultimately all the Order expected of her.
That said, Wilmarina wished she would accept her orders in the city instead of requiring Elt to bring them to her. A young man and woman out in the wilderness, where no one could observe them… who knew what they could be getting up to?
Wilmarina shook her head and said, "Continue, Eva."
"Ah, yes, Lady Wilmarina," Eva said. "Moving on, the next step is to prepare our forces. Again, we don't want to let the monsters know of this, so in most of my strategies, we would keep activities within the walls of Lescatie and Salvarision."
"What about the remaining strategies?" Vermut asked. She nibbled on a biscuit, then added, "Are they more explicit?"
"It's really just one strategy, but… yes, in that one, we wouldn't hide our preparations at all," Eva explained. "In that strategy, we'd prepare and then send out a large army to intimidate the monsters into fleeing, killing any stragglers who stayed behind. This would mean most monsters could escape with their lives, but it would keep Lescatie's people safe."
That was a compromise that they couldn't immediately reject. While most of Lescatie thought heroes were bound by duty to kill as many monsters as possible, the heroes themselves knew it was often impractical. With natural gifts such as wings or fast legs or shapeshifting or camouflage, monsters could often escape to attack another day. In these cases, it was better for heroes to be cautious instead of overextending and risking more losses.
"It is something to consider," Wilmarina said. "What else have you planned, Eva?"
"Alternatively, we could send out one or more groups of heroes and knights, with a focus on mobility," Eva said. "We would clash with and defeat the monster leader, or leaders, along with any of their nearby troops. However, we would keep a number of monsters alive as hostages to lure in any other monsters in Lescatie. We'd draw them into ambushes by our reserve forces, allowing us to kill all… or more probably, most of them. The multiple strategies for this differ only in the details, such as who would be sent out and where."
This suggestion was met with a few nods and no signs of disagreement. In some other Order nations, it might be seen as horrific, but there was no need to worry about the opinions of borderline-heretics. The laws of war did not apply when fighting monsters.
"That sounds quite feasible," Olivie said. "Of course, we might have to change strategies depending on new information."
"Of course," Eva agreed. He picked up his cup and took a sip of tea. "That's something I always keep in mind when putting them together. Oh, and…"
Eva picked up a bag lying next to his chair and took out roughly a dozen thin bundles of paper, which he handed out to the rest of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower.
Wilmarina accepted her bundle and saw countless lines of neat writing on it. She didn't even need to ask to know that the exact same writing would be on the other bundles. This was the product of one of Eva's spells that automatically transferred ink to paper as he willed—not useful for a fighter, but quite useful for a support member like him who constantly handled paperwork.
"These are the various strategies I've written up," Eva said. "There's more detail here than what I just explained, for you to read in your own time."
A quick count confirmed that there were eight pages per bundle, each densely packed with text on both sides. It was a testament to how hard Eva had worked—his spell could only be used to copy existing writing onto new paper, so he would have had to write up an entire bundle of strategies by hand first.
Not everyone here would read Eva's strategies fully. Paula in particular, judging from how her eyes were swimming just from seeing the first page. But Wilmarina, as the leader of this group, would be expected to read it all.
"Thank you for your efforts, Eva," Wilmarina said. "Does anyone else have something to contribute?"
"I'd like time to read this and think on it first," Olivie said. What went unsaid, but was understood by all, was that she would summarise this information for the other two of the Three Musketeers.
"As would I," Lucas said.
After a few more similar responses, Wilmarina said "Then I'll bring this meeting to an end. Until our next meeting, please think about how we might best protect Lescatie. At the same time, we must not reveal this information publicly yet, as it would cause an outcry."
The Order of the Holy Ice Flower stood and began filing out of the room. A few lingered to chat or snatch some of the snacks remaining on the table.
Wilmarina made her way to Eva and said, "Once again, thank you for your efforts, Eva. It must have taken several days to think of all these strategies and put them to paper."
"Um… the truth is, it took just last night," Eva admitted. "But it's the least I can do. The least... my family would expect of me."
Eva was the second son of House Mystiv, one of many noble houses allied with House Noscrim. The first son was a renowned knight and also part of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower, but Eva didn't have the strength or the temperament to follow the same path. However, Eva had a flair for tactics and strategy that made him just as valuable to the Order.
Even then, I've heard people whisper about how he lets the family down, that a man of Mystiv should fight with a blade instead of a book, Wilmarina thought.
Eva looked at Wilmarina one last time, then said "Then, please excuse me…" and left the room.
Wilmarina wasn't sure what to make of that look. It was a look of desire, but not for her body or her status—Wilmarina was much too familiar with those kinds of looks. Was it a desire to be as strong as she was? That was also common, many of the others in the Order had this desire, yet… it didn't seem quite right.
Then Lucas passed by Wilmarina, glancing at her with his golden eyes. He nodded politely and also left the room.
Lucas was another mystery, but for an entirely different reason. He never showed any kind of desire towards her, treating her in a manner that was professional, sometimes even brusque. Yet Wilmarina was aware that House Mayer was pushing for a betrothal between her and Lucas—a union between their two great houses would be extremely beneficial.
Despite his family's wishes, he shows no interest in me whatsoever, Wilmarina thought. Out of the men I interact with regularly, that's very rare… the only other example I can think of is Alameria's partner Marion, and, well…
Alameria and Marion were harbouring secret feelings for each other. These feelings were only a secret to them, being known to everyone else in the Order of the Holy Ice Flower. Even a complete imbecile could see the truth when Alameria often talked to Marion late into the night, then personally woke him up the next morning.
Does Lucas likewise have feelings towards something else? But if so, none of us have ever seen or heard of her…
Wilmarina was now alone in the room. She made for the door herself, only to encounter a knight in full plate.
"Sir Terrence?" Wilmarina said. "Were you looking for Eva?"
Terrence was another knight of the Order and Eva's best friend. The two had met during a mission and worked very well together. Now they shared the same room in Castle Salvarision, or the same tent when out on campaign.
"Ah, this isn't about me, Lady Wilmarina," Terrence said. "But there's a messenger at the castle gates right now, from Hero Mersé, who asked to see you."
Wilmarina froze. She didn't dare get her hopes up, there were many soldiers training under Mersé—"
"Said his name is Elt, which I don't recognise," Terrence continued. "Anyway, he has a letter from Hero Mersé with him. It looks like an important matter."
Now Wilmarina could barely even hear the knight. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, as if trying to burst free from the confines of her ribs.
"L-Lady Wilmarina?" Terrence said. "Are you alright? I was going to bring him to you, but if you're unwell—"
"No—I mean, yes," Wilmarina said. "Bring him here, to this room. I'll… see what he has to say."
Terrence nodded and jogged off down the corridor. Wilmarina sat down on her chair again, much more unsteadily this time.
He's coming here!? But why!?
It might be for the same reason as the meeting just now… Mersé having heard of the increased monster sightings, and wanting to cooperate with us in fighting them off. That much is logical…
However, it was unusual to send one common soldier to the Order of the Holy Ice Flower, Lescatie's greatest knight order. Normally that would be the job for a knight or a hero, such as Mersé herself. There were no laws against it, as shown by Elt being allowed to enter the city of Salvarision, but Mersé should have been well aware of societal expectations.
...Does she know? Did she send Elt to me on purpose?
I… I have to calm myself.
Wilmarina poured out a full cup of tea and drank it quickly. One of the side benefits of a hero's constitution was the ability to consume boiling drinks without being scalded. She also smoothed her hair and clothing, paying more attention to her appearance now than during the meeting.
Two maids came in at one point, expecting to clear the table. Wilmarina told them to leave as she'd still be using this room for a while longer.
Finally, Terrence returned through the door, accompanied by a painfully familiar man with red hair.
"Here he is, Lady Wilmarina," Terrence said.
"Thank you, Sir Terrence," Wilmarina replied. "You may leave us."
Terrence left the room again. Elt stepped forward hesitantly, clearly unsure of what to do, until Wilmarina gestured for him to take one of the chairs.
Elt sat down in the chair previously occupied by Parshe. Wilmarina wondered what the girl would think if she knew—she was of House Lufarshe, an ancient noble house that even had a distant blood connection to House Noscrim, though it had been declining in prestige until Parshe became a hero.
"So… um…" Elt began. "It's been a while since we met properly… Lady Wilmarina."
That form of address made Wilmarina feel as if she'd been impaled through the chest. Still trying to appear calm, she replied, "It has, Elt. Have you… been well lately?"
"I… guess I have?" Elt said. "But that, um, wasn't what I came here for. I came here to give you this…"
Elt handed over the letter. It was made of rough parchment—a far cry from the fine paper used by Eva earlier—rolled into a tube and sealed with wax.
At that moment, Wilmarina realised that Eva's bundle of strategies was still on the table in plain view. She must have set it down earlier while fretting over Elt's arrival. She wasn't supposed to let a mere soldier see such important documents, but her current self didn't care.
Wilmarina broke the wax seal and unrolled the letter:
To Hero Wilmarina,
I hate paperwork, so I'll keep this simple. Elt told me an unbelievable story this morning. But he's never been the type to lie, and even that gloomy half-elf came along to back him up.
Druella, one of the lilims, approached those two. She tried to convince them to switch sides, by either teleporting them to another country or showing them a fancy illusion, not sure which. Then—even harder to believe—she let them go.
I've been thinking of what to do now, but there's no way I can hold off a lilim on my own. And Elt asked me to help him meet you. I told him it was stupid and dangerous, but he insisted.
So here it is, the letter I wrote to get him in. I wrote this because Elt said you could be trusted with this info. You'd better not let down that trust.
Merse
Wilmarina put down the letter and, utterly lost for words, looked at Elt.
"It's true, what the captain wrote," Elt said. "Um, I guess I should start from the beginning. Yesterday morning, I met this strange woman in the streets of the capital…"
The next five minutes were filled with the strangest tale Wilmarina had ever seen. It sounded nothing like how a monster, especially a lilim, would sway people to her side. Even Elt sounded uncertain as he told the tale.
"...and after the captain gave me the letter, I went straight here," Elt finished. "To be honest, I'm not sure what to do now. Do you have any ideas… Lady Wilmarina?"
Wilmarina rested her face in her hands. As the so-called pride of Lescatie, she wasn't supposed to show weakness like this, but the situation was just too much for her.
We were already worried about a large force of monsters… and it turns out their leader is a lilim?
"A-Are you okay, Lady Wilmarina?"
There isn't a single occurrence of a lilim being defeated. Lilims have fought heroes far more experienced than me, and won in the end. If it wasn't for their lack of discipline, and humanity being blessed by the Chief God… the monsters would already have won.
"...Mary? Are you okay?"
That caused Wilmarina to look up from her hands. Seeing Elt's concerned expression actually cheered her up a little.
"Y-Yes, I'm okay, thank you, Elt," Wilmarina said. "Rather, I should be asking if you are okay. You recently came into contact with a lilim, after all…"
Lilims were infamous for being at the pinnacle of monsters, in every sense of the word. There were stories of them doing anything to amuse themselves: breaking apart happy couples, laying with a dozen men in a single day, even laying with beasts when the mood struck them, devouring the entrails of humans… The thought of Elt being near one of them made Wilmarina shudder.
"I think so, and Sasha also couldn't find anything wrong with me," Elt replied.
"Hero Sasha? Sasha Fullmoon?" Wilmarina said. "That's a relief… but how did you come to be examined by her? Did you ask Hero Mersé for help with that as well?"
Elt scratched his head—another painfully familiar gesture. "Uh, actually, there was no need for that," he said. "I… left out this detail before, but… Have you heard about how Sasha's mother started an orphanage, which Sasha now runs? I was taken into that orphanage, and I live there now when I'm not on duty."
"You… live… with Hero Sasha…"
Wilmarina was now feeling dizzy for an entirely different reason. Counting herself, Elt was linked to five female heroes of Lescatie, all of at least some renown. It was a situation unimaginable even in fiction. While it certainly explained why Druella had targeted him...
"Is that a problem?" Elt asked innocently.
"It isn't," Wilmarina lied. "I was simply… surprised."
Now, Wilmarina was tempted to ask if Elt was in a relationship with Primera, Mersé or Sasha—excluding Mimil for obvious reasons. But she refrained. Partly because there were more important things to do, and partly because the answer might break her heart.
Then another question came to mind. This was also a personal question, one Wilmarina shouldn't be asking in this crisis, yet she couldn't resist.
"Elt… you said you were taken into an orphanage," Wilmarina said. "Then… what happened… to your parents…?"
Elt gulped. "That doesn't matter anymore. I…"
"Elt," Wilmarina repeated. "Please tell me."
For what seemed like eternity, there was silence. Nothing outside the room, not even the lilim plotting an invasion, mattered.
Then at last, Elt spoke.
"They're dead."
Wilmarina slowly nodded. "...I see. When did it happen?"
"Seven years ago," Elt replied. "A year after… after leaving."
It wasn't hard to put together the full story. Elt's parents had been raised since birth to be servants of nobility. They didn't have the skillset needed for other jobs, yet because they'd been fired, no other noble house would hire them as servants. Their early deaths were inevitable.
And truthfully, Wilmarina had always known this. She'd simply locked it away when she resolved to be a hero, thinking that doing her duty would prevent such things from happening again. When she'd seen Elt again, just a few weeks ago, she'd deluded herself into thinking that his parents must also be alive and healthy. But after hearing the truth from her childhood friend's own lips, she couldn't deny it any longer.
Her father was a murderer. He knew what the consequences of firing Elt's parents would be, yet he'd still done it. And Wilmarina was his willing accomplice.
And it went far beyond that. Wilmarina's father could never have gotten away with such actions without a similarly rotten society that permitted, even quietly encouraged them. Wilmarina had seen example after example of this, the prejudice against her own deputy Luciana being an example.
"M-Mary," Elt said nervously. "It's not your fault."
"It is."
"You couldn't have done anything to stop—"
"I damn well could have!" Wilmarina shouted, standing up from her chair. "Look at me, Elt! I have personal strength, wealth, noble blood, all to degrees that other heroes envy! But I did nothing to stop him, to stop all of them! I watched them fritter away money on their parties and celebrations, listened to them laugh about the struggles of commoners!"
Wilmarina looked down at the snacks and drinks on the table. While not as lavish as those at the birthday party earlier in the day, any one of them might have cost more than Elt's daily salary. She raised her hand to sweep them off the table, only for Elt to catch her hand.
"Mary, please calm down!" Elt said. "Please don't shout…"
After a moment's thought, Wilmarina realised Elt's meaning. Him coming to meet her was, as Mersé had put it, stupid and dangerous. If anyone else learned that Elt was a potential thrall of a lilim, he'd be executed or imprisoned for study. And while this room had thick walls and door—the reason Wilmarina had chosen it for the Order's meetings—sufficiently loud shouts could still be heard from outside.
As a hero of Lescatie, Wilmarina ought to suppress her emotions and dispose of the threat before her.
As a human being, Wilmarina sat back on her chair and lowered her head.
"...I'm sorry," Wilmarina said quietly. "I… forgot myself, forgot the risk you took in coming here."
"It's alright," Elt said. He let go of Wilmarina's hand, blushing slightly. "But I came here because I thought it would help. I thought you could help, Mary, since you're the best hero in Lescatie."
Wilmarina didn't really think of herself as such. There were many older heroes in Lescatie who might be able to defeat her in a duel. So whenever someone complimented her this way, the words slid off her like raindrops off the tiles of a roof.
When Elt complimented her this way, Wilmarina turned away in an attempt to hide her own blush.
"Th-Thank you," Wilmarina said. "I don't think that's quite true, but I'll… try my best to live up to your expectations."
"What will you do now, Mary?" Elt asked. "Oh, but if you have to keep your plans a secret, I understand—"
"No, this is something you should know about it," Wilmarina said firmly.
What was it Olivie said earlier? That we'd likely have to change our plans as new information came in? Well, this new information changes everything.
For the greatest obstacle to Lescatie's security… is Lescatie itself.
AN: It's ironic that the Three Musketeers are called that when none of them seems to use muskets, and only one uses firearms at all.
The canon Order of the Holy Ice Flower is highly female-dominated since one of MGE's main themes is monsterisation, but it does have a number of unnamed male characters. Most of the non-Eva male characters introduced in this chapter are canon, just with original names I came up with.
