AN: Here's a monster-sized chapter, pun intended. It took revision after revision, sometimes adding entirely new sections, until I was satisfied.
Serena reached out for the handle of the chapel's door… and hesitated. Only after a few seconds did she pull the door open and step inside.
Lescatie, being one of the Order countries where faith was strongest, had a suitably large and grand chapel. There were currently more than a hundred people seated at the pews, yet they didn't even fill up a quarter of its capacity.
But after all we've learned recently, I'm no longer sure… if the chapel's size is truly because of honest faith… or because a priest wanted to show off how much wealth he or she possessed…
The royal team of investigators were still going through records and interrogating people. With every passing hour, they turned up more shocking revelations. And they hadn't captured all of the guilty yet… some seemed to have fled the capital, even braving the risk of monster attack, to avoid punishment.
Selina had known for years that Lescatie was rotten to the core… yet the sheer amount of corruption made her want a moment of respite. That was why she'd come to this chapel.
Selina walked slowly between the pews. Most of the faithful sitting there did not even look up as she passed by, too focused on their own prayers.
She had a good idea what they were praying about. At this moment, everyone from commoners to royalty would be having similar worries.
"Chief God… please restore peace and stability to Lescatie…"
"Chief God, lend our brave heroes your strength to drive back the darkness…"
"Chief God… are the monsters truly, irredeemably evil?"
Eventually, Selina came to the very first row of pews, the row closest to the statues at the front. The central statue was of the Chief God herself, while on either side were angels and valkyries, and all were carved from marble by master artisans.
Seated in the first row, and with her face turned slightly towards the Chief God, was Selina's eldest sister.
Selina quietly sat down next to Benella. The latter showed no signs of acknowledgement, keeping her eyes closed and her hands pressed tightly together.
So Selina did the same.
Chief God, Selina thought, trying to put her mind in order. I… have not been as devoted to you as my eldest sister, or perhaps some others in this chapel. Yet I ask your attention now, for Lescatie is facing its greatest crisis yet.
Monsters have entered our country, one of them even intruding upon this very castle. As we are now, we do not have the strength to fight them.
Father believes we should hold a formal meeting with the monsters. Mother agrees, Francisca agrees. Vivian… seems undecided. Benella and I still have our doubts…
Chief God, it is your teaching that monsters are irredeemably evil, that any peace with them is foolish. If you wish for us, your faithful children, to drive back the invading monsters, then please grant us the strength to do so.
Or at least… please… speak to us… to any of us…
Selina waited for what could only be a few minutes, but felt like a few hours.
There was no response. Selina had only ever heard the Chief God's voice a few times in her life, something that still distinguished her from the vast majority of Order members. And yet… she'd expected some kind of response at least, with Lescatie in more need of divine aid than ever before.
Eventually, Selina felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Benella looking at her.
The meaning was clear. Selina and her sister stood up and left the chapel together, still not exchanging a word.
They made their way to Selina's room, the closer of their two rooms to the chapel, and sat down. Selina glanced around for any signs of eavesdropping spells, any tiny holes that a spy might use to peer in. After recent events, one could never be too careful.
"Did you hear Her voice?" Benella asked, her blue eyes restless.
"…I did not," Selina admitted, tasting bitterness with every single word.
Benella looked down at the floor. "I was in the chapel for a full hour. There are some who were there when I arrived, and who still remained when the two of us left. Yet… it appears the Chief God has forsaken us all."
Selina gasped. Out of everyone in the family—even including some cousins who were technically part of other families now—Benella had always been the most faithful. It was she who'd gone into the church, she who'd became a venerated priestess, she whose name was spoken of in the same breath as Sasha Fullmoon.
"Surely… Surely there is a reason for this," Selina said. "The Chief God may have other matters which require her attention—"
"What other matters?" Benella asked. "I have read every single word of the scriptures, so much so that I can recite them by memory. It is written that the Chief God will never fail to come to humanity's aid in times of direst need. Would you not agree that now is a time of direst need for Lescatie?"
"…Yes. There's no denying that."
"I did wonder if I was mistaken," Benella said. She gazed out the window, out at the scenery of Lescatie at night. "Perhaps our fall to the monsters is necessary in the Chief God's plans. Perhaps it is planned to galvanise the other Order nations, to make them unite in a grand crusade against the darkness, to slay the Demon Lord once and for all. And yet…"
"And yet that isn't something we can accept," Selina said quietly. "It might be selfish—a sin in the eyes of the Chief God. But we can't just accept the loss of everyone and everything we hold dear."
The two royal sisters were silent for a while. Selina began looking out the window as well. Even at this hour, there were still lights from people working and playing. It was a reminder of just what they were fighting to protect.
"…Benella, you still had more faith when you were arguing last night," Selina said. "What, in this short period of time, has changed you?"
"There were two reasons," Benella replied, almost too quietly to be heard. "First, that trial. It was a reminder of just how much sin there is among our fellow humans… did you know, Selina? Among those Father charged and threw into cells, were a priest and priestess who I once respected."
Selina winced at that. She hadn't been close with anyone on trial, but that had simply been a matter of luck, given the frightfully high proportion of Lescatie's leadership who turned out to have filth on their hands.
"Second, that meeting we had this evening," Benella continued. "Specifically, when Heroes Wilmarina and Lucas arrived."
That was something Selina would never forget either. The revelations from those two heroes… in the span of less than an hour, they'd told Selina even more of Lescatie's horrors, as well as the sheer impossibility of defeating the monsters by force of arms.
And there was also the revelation of what a certain hero of Lescatie had been doing. That was… a complicated situation, to say the least, but it certainly explained why Benella was having a crisis of faith.
"…What will you do now?" Selina asked.
"I will go to our youngest sister, try to make up for years of neglect," Benella said, her eyes softening. "Then I will tell Father that he still needs to rest, that he should not stay up late arranging matters with the magic institutes. And then I will retire to my bed, so I am well-rested for the meeting tomorrow."
Selina smiled, just a little. "Then I will join you in that."
-ooo-
At dawn the next morning, a very different kind of royal also went through the final preparations.
"Lucella, has your Sabbath finished their proposal?" Druella asked.
A black-furred baphomet nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. What we have should be of great interest to their magic institutes."
"Salma, what of the healers under your command?"
A gentle-looking alraune with short purple hair replied, "We're ready for this, Your Highness. After our initial efforts in the slums, we now have a good idea of how many people need our aid. We've prepared enough supplies and worked out what shifts we'll take."
"Roburt, I know you finished your proposal last week, but have you updated it considering recent events?"
This was addressed to an incubus converted from a human, who'd continued his job as a top-level merchant uninterrupted by the change. "Of course, Your Highness!" he said. "I didn't get as far as I have by not keeping on top of the situation!"
"Then, Mireen… we're all hoping it doesn't come to this, but are the troops ready to move in case a fight does break out?"
A fierce-looking orange-scaled dragon saluted with one hand. "They are, You Highness!" she said. "I've been drilling with them personally, making sure they can all fight while minimising any casualties!"
"Good, good… Then everything is in order," Druella said. "We will leave in an hour's time. Tell your subordinates to be ready for it."
There was a chorus of affirmative responses, then the four representatives left Druella's tent. Now alone, the fourth-born of the lilim sat down on a stool and sighed.
I knew this would be hard work, but it's still far exceeded my expectations. And the task won't even be over after we sign the treaty…
But we have to do this. There's no turning back now.
Druella thought of what her sisters had done. One had founded a large and prosperous country from the starting point of a few tiny villages in a barren land. One had trained strenuously to become a warrior who could defeat any enemy, and was now said to be comparable to their parents in pure fighting skill. One had conjured up an entire world with nothing but her mastery of the arcane arts, a world which now served as a place of amusement for those who stumbled across it.
Perhaps some part of me wants glory, wants a grand achievement to match my sisters'… If so, I can't let that overtake me.
I came here to see what Lescatie was truly like… I came here again, in force, to make it a better place. I must not forget that.
-ooo-
An hour and a half later, when the sun was still close to the eastern horizon, Druella arrived at Lescatie's north wall. Her and about two thousand and seven hundred others. The majority of this was monsters, with the second-largest category being incubi. Less than one in thirty was an unconverted human, dwarf or elf.
There had been a camp of hired mercenaries, Druella knew, in the woodlands north of the capital. Only footprints and the ashes of campfires remained of it. Some of the mercenaries had left the country altogether, seeking easier fights. Some had managed to get into the capital's walls, presumably wanting to watch events unfold from a safe location.
And some had now joined Druella's side. The lilim saw, from over the heads of countless other people, a shirtless martial artist walking arm in arm with a harpy, a huge grin on his face.
Many things have happened, including ones even I will never know about… but we're all gathered here now, Druella thought, turning her gaze back to the wall. We can only hope that they are willing to accept us…
The north wall of Lescatie had its own great gathering of people, though it consisted of humans and humans alone. Most were soldiers, knights and heroes, as would be expected. In the centre of the wall, above the great gate that allowed entrance to the city, were the king, queen and all four of their daughters. Lastly, scattered along the wall's length were mages who were currently casting the same spell: one that would transmit whatever they currently saw and heard to another location for others to perceive.
And if all is going as planned, there'll be crowds of Lescatians in the city squares and other major areas, anxiously watching what happens here. I wonder what they're thinking now…
Druella spread her wings and rose into the air—not too quickly, to avoid causing alarm—until she was level with the top of the wall.
Many of the soldiers gripped their weapons, while others looked like they wanted to flee. In both categories, lust was also a common emotion… quite normal when a lilim was involved.
When Druella's gaze arrived at the royal family, she was met with looks of fear, resolve and determination, in differing proportions depending on the individual. And when she looked at the youngest princess, she saw a certain emotion in her eyes, one that was mixed with shame.
Oh? I see. That might be convenient, depending on how the other one feels. And from what I've seen so far…
That could wait until later. For now, Druella had to play her part in the plan.
Druella briefly touched her throat using the tips of two fingers, casting a spell known by leaders of all kinds.
"People of Lescatie!" Druella declared, in a voice amplified magically so that even those at the distant ends of the wall could hear it. "I, Druella, fourth daughter of Demon Lord Lilith and Royal Consort Adam, speak on behalf of my people! We have come to you for something that has not happened in known history: to negotiate!"
There was obvious unrest among those on the wall. The king silenced them all when he began speaking in his own amplified voice.
"Bold words coming from a monster's lips!" King Castor said. "The Chief God proclaims that your kind exists solely to bring humanity into ruin! Tell me, why should we even consider this!? Lescatie's walls are strong, and her defenders stronger still!"
The monsters and incubi at the base of the wall were angered by this, shouting "How dare you say that!?" and "If we wanted to, we could tear down those walls of yours!" They might know the basic outline of the plan, but they didn't truly understand the Lescatians' situation, how Castor couldn't just let them in so easily.
Druella raised a hand to call for calm. "…You misunderstand us greatly! We have not come here to convert you by force, or to use your children in dark rituals, or whatever else you expect of us! Such acts are forbidden by our own laws! I will not deny that some monsters and incubi perform them nonetheless, but they are not the true face of our kind, any more than the true face of humanity is embezzlement, letting the poor suffer, or attempting to murder one's king!"
A few of the Lescatians snapped back with angry retorts, yet most looked ashamed by Druella's words. Not only did they all know about the corruption that had plagued their country for so long, but their current vantage point meant they would all be able to see the capital's slums. Right now, those run-down streets were no longer out of sight, out of mind.
"…It's true that we are not defined solely by our criminals and sinners," Castor allowed, sounding reluctant. "Yet we have only your word, against the word of our own most sacred deity! What proof do we have that you aren't simply feigning peaceful intentions, to be dropped once we lower our guard!?"
"You need not trust my word alone!" Druella said. "Nor the word of my subordinates! I'm certain that a group as large as ours has not remained unnoticed as we entered your country! Many of your citizens must have seen us… What do they have to say!? Or what of your warriors who have met us in battle, interacted with us more than any others!?"
There was a tense silence. People, both on top of the wall and at its foot, shifted nervously. In several places atop the wall, Druella noticed humans who looked about to speak, only to be hushed by those nearby.
It's not even out of malice… Druella thought. They just don't want their friends to get into trouble for saying something heretical. But I can't help but feel irritated, since it makes our task more difficult.
Just when Druella was considering doing something reckless, someone finally spoke up.
"I believe they are telling the truth!" said a green-haired woman in a priestess' habit… who was conspicuously devoid of any monstrous features.
All eyes turned towards Sasha Fullmoon, one of the heroes standing atop the wall. And internally, Druella breathed a sigh of relief.
That gave me quite the fright… I'm sure that she was planning to speak up in any case, and others would have done it if she hadn't. But she must have chosen to wait to see if anyone else would be brave enough.
-ooo-
From a certain hidden orphanage, Elt, Primera and a crowd of other orphans were watching and listening.
"Thinking about it now, it's hard to believe she kept it a secret from us for so long…" Elt said.
"If she'd just been willing to tell us earlier, we could have helped her, she wouldn't have had to overwork herself so much," Primera said. "Then again, I know why she didn't—"
"Shh!" said Lisia, holding a finger in front of her mouth to emphasise her point. "Big Sis Sasha is talking!"
Within the projection, Sasha said, "Perhaps this comes as a surprise, to many of you! After all, I have years of experience combating monsters… yet that experience is why I say this now! I have encountered more monsters than almost anyone else in this country, and thus I know they are not creatures of irredeemable evil! I know that they laugh together, they feel love, they build friendships just as we do! I know that our campaigns against them have torn families apart! Do you all know of the orphanage I run in the slums, for those human children without parents?"
Sasha took a deep breath. And despite already knowing the truth, Elt felt just as much anticipation as those on the wall.
"TO ATONE FOR MY CRIMES, I BUILT A SECOND ORPHANAGE IN THE WOODS, FOR THE CHILDREN OF MONSTERS!"
Even through the limited view of the projection, Elt saw many shocked expressions from the people around Sasha.
"…Thanks to that, I know for a fact that monster children are no different from human children," Sasha said. She looked around, challenging anyone to refute her words. "That is why I believe we should negotiate with those who have come to our walls. That is all I have to say."
That led to a chaotic discussion on the wall, bits of which drifted through the projection into the orphanage.
"It's… what's the word again? Ironic," Elt said. "She can only be there because she managed to learn the transformation spell in time, to pretend to still be human. If she was in her monster form, not as many people would trust her."
"And we can't even reveal the truth about her, not for a long time," Primera said. "Not 'til attitudes in Lescatie have changed a lot."
"It's just stupid," Emiyu said. "Big Sis is Big Sis, even if she's a monster now!"
"I know, Emiyu," Elt sighed. "I know."
Meanwhile, another hero approached Sasha, one whom Elt didn't recognise, though it was hard to mistake the superhuman grace in his movements or the top-quality equipment he possessed. He was an older man—indeed, the oldest hero Elt had ever seen.
Elt tensed. Next to him, Primera gripped one of her arrows, even if she was too far away to make any use of it.
The old hero looked Sasha in the eye… and said, "I wish I had your courage… well, there's no changing that now."
"I still killed monsters as well, and am just as incapable of changing that," Sasha said. "All we can do now is atone for it."
The old hero looked at Sasha for a few more seconds. Elt began to fear that he'd seen through the latter's disguise. But eventually, the old hero turned away.
"My name is Eldrich!" the old hero declared to the crowd. "I retired from the frontlines more than a decade ago! At the time, some whispered behind my back that I was a craven, that I wouldn't do my duty for the Chief God, but do you know why I truly did that!? It was because I'd grown tired of using my sword against innocents! I was being told to fight for the Chief God, but the ones telling me that had not a drop of faith in them! They're the same kinds of people who've been dragging Lescatie down for years! They spoke of faith, but all they really wanted was to expand Lescatie's territory, to grow their purses even more!"
A wave of murmurs travelled through the crowd.
Elt slumped and let out a sigh of relief. "That was close… Still, I wish I was there to help."
"With all these brats here, Sasha needed us here to stop them making a mess," Primera pointed out.
"Hey!"
"We wouldn't make a mess!"
"We're bether—better than that!"
"And besides, we wouldn't do much good out there," Primera continued. "It's not fair, but… a common soldier and a half-elf won't have much influence."
Elt knew this as well, yet he still felt frustrated as he watched the proceedings, with more and more heroes contributing their voices.
He did cheer up somewhat when he heard a familiar voice.
-ooo-
"I, too, believe monsters are different from how the Order portrays them!"
Head Butler Lann heard this line from his mistress, together with many other servants of House Noscrim. It would have shocked him greatly, were it not for the events leading up to this point.
"I-It can't be…" a gardener bemoaned. "Did Lady Wilmarina get swayed by the monsters?"
"But even the senior heroes are saying this," said a chef. "There's no way all of them could've been tricked."
"Still, the Chief God says…"
Lann recalled what his mistress had said in their last conversation. She'd told him to pay attention to the current mood in Lescatie. He'd done so… and then suspected that many of his countrymen were flirting with heresy, suspected that this might have contributed to Lescatie's corruption. Yet now… he understood what she'd been trying to tell him.
"But there is one question I must ask of you, lilim!" Wilmarina said. "We of Lescatie have fought your kind for centuries, killed many! Why are you willing to come to us seeking peace!?"
The view in the projection shifted—presumably because the mage responsible had turned their head. Now it displayed a succubus with snow-white hair, wings and tail, who wore clothing so revealing that even prostitutes might have felt scandalised.
Some of the other male servants began staring at the lilim in a decidedly heretical way. Even Lann himself, who should have abandoned such desires years ago, felt his heart stir…
Lann pinched himself hard on the thigh.
"Simply put, because this is better for both sides than continued war!" Druella replied. "Though, no doubt, you seek a more proper explanation. To begin with, we are not fully blameless; in the distant past, we were truly beings of evil that preyed on humans! And even today, some of our kind do nothing to disprove that reputation!" She took a deep breath. "And wars can end, eventually, with the two sides forming cordial relationships! That has happened within human history many times, I'm sure you're aware of it!"
"Wait, what is she talking about?" the gardener said. "That has to be a life, humans've always been united by the Order—"
"Not quite," Lann interrupted. History had been an interest of his in his youth, enough to spend much of his pay on old and rare books. "There are many human nations outside of the Order. And even fellow Order nations have warred with one another… usually over different interpretations of the Order's teachings…"
The other servants looked at Lann in a mix of shock and disbelief. Yet he was a trusted figure to them, just as their mistress was. While on the other side of the argument was the Chief God… except that none of them had ever heard the goddess' voice. Their beliefs had been shaped by Lescatie's religious authorities, and recent events gave them strong reason to doubt those authorities.
Afterwards, none of the other servants said a word. They just continued listening to the exchange between their mistress and the lilim.
Normally, I might have remained silent just now, instead of supporting a monster's argument, Lann thought. And yet… she sounds so very sincere.
Could her voice have an enthralling effect, as in the stories? But those same stories show heroes being immune to such things…
Unable to make up his mind, Lann continued listening to the words through the projection.
"…I still cannot trust you fully," Wilmarina said. "You raise good points, so I am open to the possibility of negotiation. But should any of your kind prove hostile, I shall be among the first to take up arms."
"Thank you," the lilim said. "We won't disappoint you."
Lann would have liked to hear more of what his mistress had to say. However, to his mild irritation, she was interrupted by another hero: a crude-looking woman with silver hair who was covered in scars.
-ooo-
"…just admitted some of your lot do attack humans! Then you shouldn't have any problem with us punishing them!"
"Of course not, Hero Mersé," Druella replied. "We have never had a problem with you punishing them according to your laws."
Mersé glared at Druella for a few seconds, just long enough to seem convincing. It helped that she must have still had some hostility towards monsters.
"Fine," Mersé said. "War might be what I'm good at, but I've had enough of it for a lifetime. But remember, I'm keeping my eye on you as well. If any of your lot tries something," she slammed the base of her halberd against the floor, "their head's coming off."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Druella said.
Mersé continued glaring at Druella even as she stepped back. She did not say another word.
Nor did she need to.
"If peace can work, then… we wouldn't have to fight all those monsters down there…"
"It has to be a trick! The Chief God says—"
"The Chief God, or those fat priests, who sit in their mansions and send us out to fight? Because they never cared about us!"
"Aren't heroes the ones actually blessed by the Chief God? If they're saying monsters aren't evil, then—"
It was as if a dam had broken. While there'd been just a few people speaking up at first, now there were hundreds of them scattered all around the wall, ranging from heroes down to common soldiers. Most could only be heard by those nearby, yet together they filled up the entire wall with noise.
It would have been a serious problem if more people disagreed, Druella thought. We might have had hero-on-hero fights break out in this crowd, causing lots of collateral damage.
…Lescatie's usually thought of as a stronghold of the Order, with heroes who devote their lives to slaying monsters. But with just a little bit of digging, it turned out to have so many problems beneath the glittering façade. Many of its heroes resented its stifling traditions, its overflowing corruption… and came to doubt their cause.
One speaker who caused quite a stir, even compared to the others, was the child prodigy Lucella had been speaking highly of.
"Look at me, dammit!" Mimil cried out. Even as she spoke, she effortlessly continued her remote projection spell. "I'm twelve years old, and I'm being sent out to kill! Hey, you!" she said to a nearby middle-aged soldier. "Do you have any kids my age!?"
"Y-Yes!" the soldier replied, his face shrouded with guilt like many others nearby. "M-My younger son's only a year older!"
"Would you want your son to be fighting, risking his life!?"
"N-No!"
"Exactly!" Mimil screamed. "This stupid magical girl theme—" she tore out the large white bow in her hair, then threw it to the ground, "—is just to pretty up that fact, that Lescatie, the Order is perfectly fine with making kids fight if it's to kill monsters! NOTHING'S RIGHT ABOUT THIS!"
Druella wondered what Mimil's parents, if they were watching this, thought. It was a twisted family situation that she could hardly even imagine, thanks to her own family being so kind.
Eventually, a ball of red light was fired into the air, then exploded. This made the Lescatians quiet down again.
"…You have made your point very clear, lilim," King Castor said, lowering his hand. "But there is one more question I must ask of you! What have you done with the inhabitants of Lescatie's villages and towns!? If you have harmed a single one of them, there can be no negotiation!"
"For that, I will let them speak for themselves!" Druella retorted. She looked down towards the ground.
Fourteen villagers and townsfolk came towards the wall, nervousness evident in their every step. It couldn't be easy for people who'd never expected to do anything more public than speaking at a local festival. But these were the ones who'd resolved to come here regardless.
"B-Before they came, we never had enough to eat!" a male farmer shouted. The shouting wasn't strictly necessary, since Druella was amplifying his voice, but he clearly wanted to vent his frustrations. "Some o' our elders were thinking… were thinking of going out into the wild, just so we wouldn't have to feed 'em when winter came! After the monsters started helping us, our crops don't get eaten up by grubs anymore! And we can store what we harvest, even fresh fruits 'n' vegetables, without them rotting!"
"In our village, a dozen had come down with autumn fever!" shouted a female tailor. "I was one of them! All our village had were herbs and leeching, and that didn't help! We would've died, more would've caught our fever and died too, if they hadn't come and healed us!"
"We didn't trust 'em at first!" a male carpenter shouted. "But then Miss Paula came and told us the Order is wrong about 'em! So we started talking to the monsters, and we knew she was right!"
"The monsters helped us, when none of you lot ever cared!"
One of the princesses, the third in line, looked furious at that last shout. She seemed about to say something in response, only to shrink back guiltily.
The obvious reply would be that they protect the country-dwellers from monsters… except that lately, even that hasn't been true. And if they helped with everyday matters like food, it was a long time ago…
Eventually, the villagers and townsfolk fell silent. They all looked nervous again, clearly fearing the possibility of retribution.
"…I have heard your words," Castor said. "And to my great sorrow, I cannot deny them! We, the leadership of Lescatie, have taken your taxes without doing nearly enough in return! The contract between ruler and ruled has obligations for both… yet we have failed in ours."
Castor slowly bowed his head, to the shock of many.
While there might have been genuine repentance in it, Druella analysed, this was also a clever bit of political theatre. In this one meeting, Castor had presented himself as both a firm ruler who would not back down easily to monsters, and as a humble ruler who could admit the failings of his administration. That let him appeal to many sectors of the population at once, essential if he wanted to then do something radical.
"However, Lilim Druella, this raises a new question!" Castor said. "Why have you given such aid to citizens of Lescatie, an enemy nation!?"
"Because my kind hopes that we can stop being enemies!" Druella replied. "We hope to form a more beneficial relationship, one of peace and trade! Our aid thus far is proof of our intentions! Should you accept, we can offer similar aid to those in the capital as well, those who sorely need it!"
It was, of course, a slight lie. Druella's agents had already entered the capital's slums, so its inhabitants wouldn't have to suffer for a day longer. In this case, the neglect of the slums was actually helpful, since it ensured the wealthier citizens wouldn't notice until peace was already achieved.
Meanwhile, there were a thousand conversations happening up on the wall, and undoubtedly even more in the city within. Druella could still hear some doubt there.
That's natural… a lifetime of indoctrination isn't easy to overcome. But them being willing to discuss this at all shows that we're making progress.
The next to speak was someone who'd remained silent until now: Queen Francia.
"What of the rest of the Order?" Francia asked. "What of their reactions? Suppose that we did accept a peace treaty with your kind, they would never accept it. They would believe we had been corrupted into your pawns."
"We do not ask you to surrender your sovereignty," Druella replied. "We only ask that you shift to a position of neutrality, something that is not without precedent!"
There were cries of "What!?" and "That has to be a lie!" atop the wall.
"That is true!" Castor admitted, silencing the cries. "Neutral nations do exist, some of which trade both with nations of the Order and nations under the Demon Lord! A fact most of you were never taught, similar to how you were never taught that human nations have fought each other… because it was inconvenient."
"R-Really…?"
"Then, maybe we really can…"
Hearing these murmurs from the crowd, Druella felt a glimmer of hope. That helped her continue.
The exchange of words continued for a quarter of an hour. All of it was about issues already described in the proposal that Druella had given to Castor four days ago. The exchange was mainly for the benefit of the rest of Lescatie's population, to help them understand what peace with their ancient enemy would mean for them.
Then a certain princess added her voice to the mix.
"I have one question…" Francisca asked. Even with her voice being amplified by one of her sisters, it sounded so frail that it might be drowned out by the wind. "What can you do to help… people with long-term illnesses, or conditions…?"
Francisca's parents and sisters exchanged nervous, often conflicted glances. However, none of them tried to interrupt this topic of conversation.
"Our medical techniques are fairly advanced, if I may boast," Druella replied, lowering her voice somewhat. "Weakened bones, lost teeth, baldness, loss of vision or any other sense, these can be cured permanently and with minimal fuss… and without conversion into a monster or incubus, as some of you may fear."
"And… what of more serious illnesses…?" Francisca asked. She trembled slightly, presumably due to all the attention she was now receiving, but did not falter. "Those that affect every system of the body…"
Druella took a deep breath. She'd been expecting this, but she still had to be careful with how she phrased her answer.
"For such illnesses, even our options are limited. For those who request it, conversion is a viable option, as it essentially rebuilds the entire body."
Almost immediately, Druella was barraged by shouts of "This is what she's really after!" and "We can't fall for it!" Yet these shouts were interrupted by—surprisingly enough—Francisca.
"What, exactly… are the changes from turning into a monster?"
"Changes in body shape, depending on the exact type of monster," Druella replied, thinking back to one of her own lessons from over fifty years ago. "Increases in physical and magical capabilities, again depending on the type of monster. Any existing illnesses are cured. There are important changes to childbearing, which I must mention: it's more difficult to become pregnant, especially for powerful monsters, and children of a monster will always be monsters."
There were also many changes related to sexual intercourse, but Druella wasn't about to talk about those so publicly. She might be an archetypal succubus in many ways, but she wasn't an idiot. Those could be explained later in more private settings.
"I see…" Francisca said. "Then… as a first step to a more peaceful relationship between our sides… I would like to be granted the body of a monster."
Even though previous dialogue had been building up to this point, this request caused many shocked reactions among the Lescatians. Most limited themselves to whispers and murmurs, but not all were so subdued.
"Your Highness, I must ask you to reconsider!" said a priest. "To become a monster is to become an entirely different existence, one driven by naught but lust!"
Over a dozen people, presumably the more religious ones, nodded at the priest's words. However, there were even more who looked uncertain, Francisca's family.
They might have family or friends who could benefit from monsterisation, Druella thought. Now, I could try refuting that slander about my kind, but I think someone else deserves this time in the spotlight.
"Suppose I accepted that…" Francisca said, putting some more strength into her voice. "Then what do you suggest I should do… or all those people who are born unable to see… or unable to walk… or who bleed from even small wounds…?"
The priest sweated as he became the focus of attention. To his credit, though, he did give an answer.
"I can only offer the truth: it's impossible to cure such conditions, not while preserving one's humanity," the priest. By all indications, he was sincere. "However… pure and honest devotion to the Chief God would allow you to live in contentment, despite—"
"Shut… up."
The priest blinked and did not say another word. He, like everyone else, was shocked by the sheer amount of raw hatred from the seemingly meek fourth princess.
"Francisca…" Castor said, his king's mask having fallen away to leave a father behind. "You…"
"Before people forgot about me, priests like you were telling me my condition had a reason, that it was all part of the Chief God's plan," Francisca said venomously. "That I should give up hope of ever improving… just because the knowledge and spells of your faith couldn't help me. It's easy for the likes of you to say that, when you've never needed help just to stand up!"
After that last sentence, Francisca doubled over while clutching her chest. Her family immediately rushed in, begging for her to rest… yet she continued speaking.
"But I… refuse… to give up! If nothing so far has worked… then I will consider the help of monsters… and I refuse… TO LET THE LIKES OF YOU DENY ME!"
Francisca slowly raised her head until she was looking at Druella again.
"So… do you promise… that you can cure me, without changing who I am deep down?"
-ooo-
Things went comparatively smoothly from there onward. Nobody else spoke too strongly against the monsters after Francisca's outburst.
She must have had a tremendous amount of resentment accumulated over the years… Druella mused. Perhaps even she wasn't aware of it. But when someone got in the way of her hope for a better life… all that resentment couldn't be contained any longer.
Druella managed to secure permission for herself and a small number of other envoys to formally enter Lescatie, to even make their way to the castle where further talks would take place. Naturally, they were being escorted by a large force of heroes.
But this isn't the end, far from it… Many in Lescatie still fear and hate monsters, and will do so for a while. Some may try to leave, if they haven't already. Some may stay but form resistance movements…
Druella looked around as she walked down one street. All of the doors were closed, the windows shuttered. At the same time, many of the humans inside were peeking out through cracks and holes, curiosity outweighing their fear.
Though even this is an improvement compared to when I first came here. Just three weeks ago, monsters in Lescatie would have had people running and screaming…
The buildup in the past few weeks has certainly helped, planting the seeds of doubt in their minds. And the conversation at the north wall helped as well. In the past, most of Lescatie was isolated from monsters, seeing us as just the creatures of darkness they must fight and kill. Seeing what we actually look like, hearing us talk, has dispelled some of their illusions about us. And with the approval of royalty and heroes, we managed to get in.
Even if we can't relax just yet… this is still progress.
-ooo-
Within his room in the Shield Keep, Warran was pacing around incessantly. Normally, he'd never allow his captors even a chance of seeing him off-guard… but he could no longer help himself.
Kirsch has undoubtedly failed, it's clear by now… I did not expect it from one of her skill, but I suppose everyone makes mistakes. I myself am an example of that…
Without Kirsch, Warran had no way of learning about the world outside his room. His guards were only ever those of strong loyalty and skill, who could not be bribed or threatened, and would not tell him anything when they came to bring food and empty his chamber pot.
I was able to glean some information from their expressions, their body language… Something made them feel disheartened lately, only for them to cheer up yesterday. Yet I can only speculate about what happened, unable to confirm anything… It's maddening.
Warran eventually decided to sit down again. His legs weren't as strong as they'd been in his youth.
My ungrateful daughter has not visited even once… I've sometimes imagined her visiting to gloat, or to desperately ask for help after a failure, yet she has not. I suppose I should be proud of her, for at least being resilient as a Noscrim should…
Approximately half an hour passed in this manner. There was neither window nor clock in the room, but Warran had developed a reasonably good internal clock. It had been a useful skill during his days out in the field.
Then the door to the room opened. Warran was bewildered, since it was too early for his guards to bring his evening meal. However, he kept that emotion hidden underneath a mask of calm.
"What is it?" Warran asked.
"Come with us," one of the two guards said.
Has the time come, for the Blade of Salvation to take my head? Warran thought. But… it doesn't feel as if that's the case…
Warran followed the guards through the castle corridors. Normally, he would have had to put up with the humiliation of servants shooting gazes of mockery at him, feeling superior to this fallen Sun Priest. Now, however… they were all focused on something else.
Even so, the servants usually stopped their whispered conversations when Warran and his guards approached. It thus took a few minutes for Warran before heard those impossible words.
"…have to finish cleaning everything up, before the monsters get here…"
"Still can't believe this is happening…"
Warran stopped in his tracks. He looked at the pair of maids who'd said that, yet they scampered away before he could speak to them.
"What were they just talking about!?" Warran asked.
"That's not your concern now," one guard said.
"Eh, we might as well let him know," the other guard said. "It's not like he can do anything now, and almost everyone else in Lescatie knows, he'd hear about it soon anyway."
Warran's mind shifted back to the days when he'd been on the frontlines as a military priest. "How many have invaded Lescatie, what types are there!?" he demanded.
"There's four of them," the second guard said. "A lilim, a baphomet, an alraune and an incubus. They say they're here to—"
Warran fell down onto hands and knees. His two guards began shouting and pulling on his arms, trying to get him back to his feet, but he no longer paid them any mind.
All hope is lost… Lescatie is finished…! And if they're so casual about it, they must already be corrupted, made to see nothing wrong with monsters in our holy city…
"Hey, just get up!" the first guard ordered. "There's a reason for this, just listen—"
Warran could do nothing to save Lescatie now. All of Lescatie's walls, defensive enchantments and armies had failed.
But… I can deny the monsters one thing…
When he'd been sentenced to that luxurious prison cell, Warran had naturally been searched for anything he could use to escape or secretly communicate. He'd had none of those things… but he did have something for an entirely different purpose.
Warran felt around with his tongue and soon found a fake tooth in his upper jaw. The original tooth had fallen out a few years ago, simply due to old age. Warran hadn't replaced it with an ostentatious gold tooth like others in his social circles, nor had he replaced it with a simple and practical fake tooth.
Ever since all of my friends were taken by monsters, all those years ago… I swore I'd never suffer the same fate. It might be a pitiful attempt at resistance… the monsters might take everything else in Lescatie…
Warran injected a tiny amount of mana into the fake tooth in a specific manner, just enough to activate it. The tooth split open, nicking his gums… and releasing a certain liquid.
The liquid tasted bitter, but that wasn't out of the ordinary for a deadly poison.
"But I… will never become… a monster's pet…" Warran murmured, as his body slowly lost its strength.
"Stand up, dammit!"
"Wait, he's…!"
A hand forced open Warran's mouth, while another hand slapped his back with great force. Drops of poison flew out from between his lips.
"W-We have to get him to a healer right now!"
Even as he heard these words, Warran felt no alarm. The poison he'd chosen was the sort that ensured death in less than a minute once it entered the bloodstream. He'd chosen it so that even if he'd already been captured by monsters, he could deny them any satisfaction from his body.
Soon… I'll be with you again, Natalia…
I'm sorry… in the end, I failed to keep our daughter away from that commoner… and now, because of it… Lescatie has fallen…
Now Warran could no longer sense the guards, presumably carrying him to the nearest healer. He could no longer sense anything in the castle.
The only hope now… is that… those in Merukarn… can organise a crusade… bringing together the entire Order…
The forces of darkness… cannot… be… allowed… to win…
AN: The "going out into the wild" is inspired by what elders in the North sometimes do in A Song of Ice and Fire.
