Vault wasted no time getting orders out to his men. Some were tasked with clearing a path through the bog, while others were sent to have a look at the other sections of the tower to take inventory. No doubt he wanted to know everything he had recently acquired… everything I helped him obtain. The thought disgusted me beyond words, but I needed a way here, and he provided one. I tried to reason with myself that I couldn't have hoped to have gotten here before him, but it failed to make me feel any better about the situation.

I was lucky, in a way. Vault told me that he wanted me to relax, that he had no job for me at the moment, and I had freedom to move through the Citadel as I saw fit. It was a reward for taking down Olga, apparently, and I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially not right now. I had to come up with an escape plan, collect everything I could carry, and get Olga and Chloe out of here before Vault decides to unveil his true agenda to us.

However, I have an issue that needs to be resolved before anything can be done.

Where do I start?

With a heavy sigh, I leaned my arms onto one of the many guardrails of the tower, looking downward at the rest of the Spine.

"What am I doing?" I asked myself quietly as I buried my face in my hands, feeling like I was in over my head. Only a few days earlier, I was just a normal guy, and now I am trying to not only navigate a fucked up reality, but also casting self-preservation to the wind for the sake of people I don't even know, and who probably hate my guts.

I never expected this to be easy, but boy, did I underestimate how hard it really would be.

But I can't let that stop me. I have to work this out, otherwise everyone in this country is doomed. The first thing I must do is get a general idea of what my plan is.

I need to get those two out of here before Vault decides it's time to get his dick sticky. I cannot expect to win a fight against every soldier in the fortress, so I'll probably need some sort of diversion, something that will attract a lot of attention. I might be able to find something in Olga's library, a spell or something to that effect that will give me the chance.

Then I need to somehow get them to trust me enough to actually come with me, which I doubt will be an easy thing to do. That's probably going to be harder than the actual escaping, now that I think about it. Thankfully, the escape is a bit more straightforward. Just got to lead them to the wagons ferrying the camp supplies, and run like hell… Or ride like hell…

It's not a perfect plan, but it's better than nothing. I hope to God that one of them knows how to drive a wagon, because if they don't, we'll have to rely on how fast we can run. And considering they have horses, I don't like those odds.

Maybe I can sabotage their ability to come after us? Cut their horses free and give them a good slap on the ass to get them running?

At least they won't be expecting a betrayal, and I have a feeling many of the Black Dogs will be pretty shit faced by the time I set my plan in motion.

First things first though, I need to figure out how to create a diversion big enough to get everyone's attention. Since I doubt this place has anything that's super explosive, I'd have to improvise with magic. My best bet for finding a spell or some way to create a big enough disturbance would be in the Citadel's library… Who would know where to find that, though?

I caught him just out of the corner of my eye, with that familiar indigo cloak and pair of glasses, crossing one of the bridges of the tower. I felt a grin tug at my lips. If anyone knew where I could find it, it would be him.

"Hey Kin!" I called out, getting the mage's attention from the book in his hands. "Where can I find the library?" I asked loudly.

"I am on my way there now," he yelled back up. "Would you like to accompany me there?" I nodded and began making my way down to him. He was three floors below me, so it took me a few minutes to reach him. By the time I reached him, I noticed he was talking to Shamuhaza.

"I understand. So Vault wants us to set up our labs in the dungeons?"

The bandaged man nodded. "Yes, I have already sent the requests for my belongings to be moved there. I suggest you do the same when you are done studying," the insectomancer told the mage, before departing without so much as a goodbye, nor waiting for a response.

"You're setting up labs down there?" I asked as I approached.

Kin nodded. "Yes, most of the upper levels are to be made into living quarters for the men. I do not mind though. From what I understand, any prisoners we take will be up for… experimentation."

I didn't like the sound of that, but wisely kept my mouth shut on the matter. "Besides, it is best to keep that away from where some might have issues with it." Kin shrugged his shoulders. "Between you and me, most of those here cannot appreciate the finer aspects of intelligence," he said, gesturing at me to follow him. "Many tend to think with their lower head than the one atop their necks."

"So I've noticed." A bit challenging not to. If I listen in on any conversation between the grunts, I hear about their sexcapades, and generally speaking, they are absolutely repulsive. "There is more to life than just mindless fucking," I said simply.

The resident mage of the Black Dogs turned and looked at me with a smile. "Indeed, I would rather focus on applying my mind to more scientific endeavors, rather than simply giving in to base desires."

Yeah, and I know exactly what those scientific endeavors lead to: a world of perpetual rape and bastards.

"Speaking of scientific endeavors, what exactly do you do?" I asked, and I gathered he was some sort of scientist, but knowing what exactly his research is for might help me in the future.

"It varies from time to time, whatever catches my curiosity. Currently, however, I am somewhat focused on monster breeding methods…" He glanced over at me. "Not for me, mind you, but learning more about how they reproduce could be useful to us in the future," he attempted to defend, but I merely leveled my most deadpan stare.

"Uh huh," I said, my tone dripping with disbelief.

The mage sighed. "I understand how hypocritical it is to say. However, there are many things we do not yet fully understand about them, and that we must if we are to apply any sort of control over their population," he explained. "In a single year, a captured woman can give birth to a dozen goblins, or six imps, or four orcs, or two trolls. If I can discover some way to control their population, it may prove beneficial in the long run."

Jesus…

"Why do they breed so fast?"

Kin shrugged his shoulders. "I have been trying to figure that out. If I had more test subjects, I might make better progress, but I will make due with what I find and learn from," He said, before we arrived at a large set of double doors. "Thankfully, this..." he grunted in effort as he pushed the two heavy doors open. "Should be of some help," he said as he stepped into the grand library of the Black Citadel.

I trailed after him and found myself in awe. This was so much bigger than I expected it to be. Hell, I am sure it is bigger than the one in the White Citadel.

"Whoa…" I said as I looked up. There were about three floors of books. "What's in here?" I asked as I began scanning the book shelves on the bottom floor.

"Well, from the looks of it… Whatever you want," he said with a small smile. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"Books about magic," I called a bit of electricity into my hand. "I want to know more about this if I can," I half lied. I did want to know more about it, but my main concern was finding a suitable diversion.

Kin pushed up his glasses. "Well, I believe you will have luck at the far end of the library, some ancient Dark Elven texts on magic and its applications lie there. Perhaps you can find something of interest there?" the mage suggested.

I nodded. "Thanks, I'll go have a look."

With that final exchange, we parted ways. He left to search for his books, and I left for mine. It took me a few minutes to find some books on magic and get them sorted. Not a whole lot of spell books were here, much to my surprise. In fact, I couldn't find anything better than a few higher level spells, Firebolt, Ice Spike, and Fire Rune.

I couldn't deny my disappointment, I was hoping for better stuff, maybe something more advanced. My personal feelings towards them aside, I put them into my satchel for now, because I had more important things to look for. I could use it later.

I found a few books that might prove helpful, things that detailed the dangers of magic, but nothing that could help me create a distraction significant enough to grab everyone's attention. I frowned at the book in my hands. I didn't have time to look through all this. I needed a solution soon, and the longer I spend trying to find it, the less time I have to implement it. I was tempted to ask Kin about it, but how could I without arousing suspicion? If he goes to Vault or anyone else and tells them I am trying to learn how to make a magic bomb, that could complicate things in a way I do not want.

Maybe I could try Shamuhaza… Actually, no, screw that guy. He is a creepy son of a bitch that I need to put down sooner rather than later. If only I knew how to make some pesticides, I could ruin his entire lab and fuck him over royally.

I frowned. There was one person I could ask about this stuff, but I doubt they would be open to answering any question I had. But what other option do I have left? Asking Kin about how I can make a huge explosion would be pretty suspicious especially if he told Vault I was asking about it. I can't let them catch on, even though it sounds unlikely. Shamuhaza is a creepy bug obsessed bastard, and unless he has any Bomb Bugs, I doubt he could help…

That only left the Dark Queen herself, Olga Discordia.

She would know how, and I doubt she would tell the Black Dogs about what I was asking about. On the other hand, however, she may not tell me regardless. After all, I was the one that beat Chloe, and was to blame for her current situation. But if I didn't do it, someone else would have, and I doubt that would have made the situation any better in her eyes.

A deep sigh escaped my lips. 'How am I gonna get her to talk?' I thought to myself. Maybe a peace offering? There has got to be something in here they might enjoy reading while I get everything ready, and maybe grabbing them something to eat in the meantime might make them a bit more open to conversation. Unfortunately, I cannot say for certain, but it's worth attempting at least.

I put the books I had gathered into my satchel, and began to browse for more. A lot of this stuff was unfortunately written in a language I could not understand, but I am going to guess Olga could. I took a few random books, put them in my satchel, and began walking out of the library… only to stop as I passed by a table with a map.

"Hmm..." I hummed to myself as I looked at it. It was a basic map, but it could prove useful, so I picked it up and examined it. It looked like the closest fortress was Feoh, so it would probably be in my best interest to take the Elves there with me. It might not be the safest place, being the first attacked and all, but safer than trying to get all the way back to Geofu on my own. Not to mention, if I can warn Alicia of the minister's betrayal, I might be able to save Feoh without too much trouble.

Okay, so when I get Olga and Chloe out of here, I'm going to take them to Feoh. It is closer, and the safest place I can feasibly reach without too much trouble. I nodded to myself as I rolled up the map and shoved it down into my satchel.

My next stop though was a bit more difficult to find. Since Vault had only begun setting up an hour or two ago, there was a lot still being moved here, inventory being taken, and areas being mapped out. Thankfully though, I caught sight of a few grunts loving crates of liquor upstairs.

"Hey!" I called out, grabbing their attention. "Where are you taking that stuff?"

The first one smiled. "We're taking it to the dining hall," the man answered. "Vault wants a big victory celebration for finally capturing the bitch," he told me. "Hey, why don't you join us? Once we put this stuff up, I wouldn't mind having a drink with the conquering hero!"

I would have been flattered if I didn't hate them. Unfortunately for me, they were my only option for finding the place soon, so I put on my best fake smile. "Sure, but I got other stuff to do, so one drink and then I gotta run," I conceded. Maybe some booze might help smooth things over with the Dark Elves. Worth a shot, if nothing else.

Another man smiled as well. "Excellent. Come on, we're close," he cheered, before leading me higher up the tower. From what I could tell, most of the lower areas were either storage rooms or otherwise unused. Olga had everything important on the higher end, apparently.

That, however, raised some questions for me, like how she kept herself fed. I doubt the monsters she ruled knew how to properly butcher animals, or how she managed to stay hydrated without access to clean water. Maybe I'll ask when I am not busy trying to plan out a prison escape.

"So, James, right? I've got a question." One of the men glanced over at me. "You saw the Dark Elves right?" he asked, and I gave a slow nod. "Were they as sexy as the stories say?"

I rolled my eyes. Of course, that was what they would ask. "I can tell you with certainty that whatever stories you heard about them have been watered down." There was no reason to lie, as much as I wanted to. Olga and Chloe were by far two of the sexiest ladies I had ever seen, even with one trying to kill me. Olga was borderline perfection, and Chloe could only be described as absolutely breathtaking.

"Oooh, seriously?!" One asked, excited. "I can't wait to see her for myself!"

As much as I disliked the sound of that comment, I refused to say anything more. While they continued to chat about my words, trying their best to imagine Olga and Chloe in their mind's eye, I was trying to figure out what I would say when I went down there. I can't exactly open with 'Hey, I got you food and some books to read in the meantime, can you teach me how to make a magical bomb?'

In my musings, we came to another set of massive doors, and I followed the men inside. Already I could see that preparations for the feast Vault has planned are well underway. I couldn't help but wonder how he got all this ready so soon. Unless more time passed in the library than I anticipated, but that didn't seem right, I didn't spend that long in there, I believe. Gah, if only this place had a normal sky! At least I could track the sun's position if I could observe it, but here it's always red and cloudy!

"Man, the boss is really going all out, huh?" One of the grunts commented on the room.

Another replied, "Well, we did just end the single longest conflict in history, I think that earns us the right to celebrate. And Her Highness has graciously offered up her own pantry for our celebration. "Ah, that explains it. "Although, I was hoping for a few whores to 'celebrate' with, but hey, a nice night of drinking and eating is good enough for me."

Mook #3 chuckled. "Well, maybe we can get Vault to let us have the Dark Elf bitch and her little helpER-!" He never got to finish that sentence, as I 'accidentally' stepped on the back of his boot, causing him to trip and fall. The crate he was holding spilled its contents all over the ground, the bottles shattered, and the beverages all spread over the floor.

"Ah, damn it!" he cried as he began trying to salvage what he could, but it was a futile effort.

As I walked away from the situation, I grabbed a fancy-looking bottle of wine, and a few bottles of some ale or beer. Just as I began browsing the tables looking for food that Olga and Chloe might enjoy more than prison food, a thought occurred to me. I'm going to need more than just an apple or two, much more than that. We would be navigating wilderness until we can find civilization, and that meant we would need food and water. A lot of it.

I began grabbing apples from the table and shoving them into my satchel. I was tempted to grab something a bit larger, but I wasn't sure how they would keep inside the bag. Not to mention, I can't risk grabbing anything that would be noticed. Fruit is fine, but I wasn't going to risk trying to grab something like a roast duck or steak right now, especially if it can perish in the bag. Thankfully, I got a lot of fruit and veggies without people noticing: apples, some oranges, a few pears, potatoes, carrots, and managed to snag some bread and cheese too.

It wasn't a particularly large haul. If I wasn't pressed for time, I would be a bit more thorough, but what I had for now would do. It couldn't find tons of other foods that could keep for longer than a few days. At least we had some variety to choose from, if nothing else.

Satisfied with what I managed to get, I began leaving, only to run into the Big Bad Boss himself.

"Ah, James, perfect timing," he greeted me as I exited the dining hall. "Taking a peek at the feast we're setting up?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, can't wait," I said quickly. "Did you need something?"

Vault blinked at my tone. "What's the rush?" he asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "We won! You can slow down for a minute."

No, I actually can't, you bastard. "Yeah, just…" I tried to think of a placating lie. "I don't know, it seemed too easy. I guess it's got me a bit on edge," I tried. It wasn't my best lie, but hopefully he would buy it.

"Hmm… I know exactly how to help you, then," he said, as he began pushing me along. "It's good that you're alert, but you're among allies here." He led me to a largely vacant room. "Now, normally we would be doing this with training weapons, but…" he said slowly, bringing his hand towards his greatsword. As his hand wrapped around the grip of the massive weapon, he drew it off his back in one quick motion.

I jumped slightly when the sword slammed into the ground, and for good reason: When the blade touched the ground, it cut into the solid stonework almost effortlessly, without even showing signs of chipping or dulling the edge.

"What are you doing?" I asked, alarmed.

"Well, as I said, to specialize in only one type of weapon is something I don't want for my men. We don't have a lot of training weapons yet, so we'll make due with the real deal," he said, before chuckling darkly. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"But I don't have a greatsword," I pointed out, but Vault shrugged his shoulders.

He looked past me and called out, "HEY!" The boom of his voice surprised me and got someone else to drop what they were holding. I turned my head and saw someone carrying a bunch of weapons, but to my surprise, it looked almost like a teenage boy.

"Bring one of those weapons over here." The boy complied quickly, picking up his dropped items and quickly entering the room. "Leave a greatsword here, and then get back to work." The teenager put an iron greatsword at my feet, readjusted the weapons in his hands and ran off quickly.

"Who was that?" I asked. I hadn't seen him before, and he seemed a bit too… young to be part of this shit.

Vault turned his gaze to me. "An orphan," he stated simply. Vault stared at me as if that was a sufficient explanation, but after I gave him an expectant gaze, he sighed and continued.

"We picked him up in Geofu. His father starved to death, and his mother ran off with some noble in another kingdom," he explained. "I don't believe I need to inform you that the world is a cruel place. Many people feel the Alliance has failed them. Since other kingdoms stopped supplying Eostia, prices of food have gone up to absurd levels. The cost of living is too high for many of the poorer residents to pay. And more often than not, that leads to three outcomes."

The King of Rape raised three fingers.

"One, you risk the Frontier, and are killed in a monster attack."

A finger went down.

"Two, you join the Army, and are sent to your death due to commanders who have no true combat experience."

He let another finger drop.

"And finally, you starve and die."

With that, the last finger joined the others. "This kingdom is failing, but…" A sinister smile grew on his face. "Times are changing. Soon, a new age will be upon us, and I will be at its head."

Ominous and evil, what else could I have expected from Vault?

"Are things really that bad?" I asked. When I was in Geofu, things didn't look like they were on the verge of falling apart.

Vault nodded. "Yes," he said in a voice that was grim and sadistic at the same time.

"However, that is enough about that." He raised his Greatsword and pointed it at me. "It's about time we begin. Are you ready?"

I mirrored his stance, bringing the heavy sword up. "As ready as I'll ever be," I muttered.


Over the next few hours, Vault drilled into me the basics of using a greatsword, or any two-handed weapon for that matter. Keep my grip firm, the weight is one of the primary advantages of this class of weapon, but also one of its major disadvantages.

"Keep your sword up," Vault instructed. "It is more difficult to swing it from a lower position than it is a high one."

He taught me that for every swing I need, I should keep the blade angled downward.

"Let gravity help when slashing, don't fight it to keep the blade high when you're attacking," the mercenary leader advised as I went through the practice swings against him.

"I'm impressed," he commented. "You're a bit stronger than I thought."

"You-"

I grunted as I took another swing.

"-don't-"

Another sound of effort escaped me as I swung one more time.

"-say!"

I almost yelled as my iron greatsword scraped against Vault's.

Vault almost laughed. "Most people that use heavy weapons like that get exhausted after a bit, but you? You're still going strong. You've still got a long way to go, but I'll be honest with you James, you might very well be the greatest addition to the Black Dog's ranks," he complimented, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"I'm not a real member," I pointed out. I was going to leave it at that, but I was afraid that might give him the wrong idea… Or the right idea, depending on your perspective.

"At least, not yet," I amended. I needed to keep up the fiction that I wasn't totally against joining them. I may not like it, but I gotta keep them from getting suspicious of me.

My temporary trainer took a breath and stabbed the tip of his sword into the ground. "Yet being the operative word," he said. "So, James, there is something I have got to tell you." His voice shifted from almost friendly to deadly serious. The change in tone made me nervous.

"What is it?"

"First, I need to know what exactly you know about my company," he interrogated. "Because this is going to go one of two ways, pleasantly for both of us, or extremely unpleasant for you."

I frowned. "You're mercenaries." There was a beat. I wanted to say shit like 'I know you and your men are bastards that would betray their own race solely for some free pussy', but I don't think he would take too kindly to that sort of statement.

"And that's basically it… Oh, and it's composed entirely of men."

Vault slowly nodded. "I understand," he said. "Well, there is a bit more to us than that." He sighed deeply. "There is no easy way to say this, so I am just going to come clean." He looked me dead in the eye.

"My company isn't just men, but monsters," he told me plainly. "When I learned that you have a talent for killing them, ignoring their enhancements, I ordered the ones loyal to me to another camp."

Wait… But I thought he only got monsters on his side after he defeated Olga, not before.

"What?" I couldn't help but voice my confusion.

"I had intended to evaluate your abilities for myself, and so far you have shown me you have a raw talent for this sort of work. I am willing to bet one day you might even be able to match me," he said with a fond smile, that morphed into a small frown. "But I need to know one thing: Will there be an issue when they arrive?"

I stayed silent for a few moments. "So long as they keep away from me, there won't be an issue." There will be, but by the time that happens, I will be long gone from here, hopefully. I can't afford to openly disagree with Vault, especially right now when he's armed. My entire plan relies on him not catching onto my plan to betray him. If he does, then I—and by extension everyone else—am screwed.

Vault's smile returned in full. "That's what I like to hear. I just had to be sure," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Well, we've spent enough time talking, I still have to run you through the basic blocks and guards." The Mercenary King returned to his position. "Ideally, you won't have to block, like a straight sword, or any other weapon you shouldn't block with it alone. However, there are times when you may need to, so…"

He began demonstrating proper guard for the greatsword, and then he forced me to do them. Truthfully, it was more difficult with this than the normal sword, mainly due to the fact that the weight was working against you in this situation. He gave me pointers on blocking with it. Generally, I should avoid using it against faster enemies, as they will take advantage of the slow reaction time required.

Against larger and slower enemies, though, I need to brace for impact. Vault made sure I understood that under no circumstance I should rely on guarding, though. If I was going to use a greatsword or any two-handed weapon, I should either have the strongest armor I can get, or never give my enemies the chance.

Well, generally speaking, I should simply never let the enemy hit me, but I understand what he meant. If you're using a heavy weapon that doesn't allow for defense, then I should always press the attack. No point in staying defensive when I've got a big 'fuck you' stick.

"What's next?" I asked as we stopped for another break. I didn't have time to humor him forever, even if I did get some valuable skills from this.

"Next?" Vault asked. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before saying, "I reckon you've got a good understanding of the basics. Now, I want to see it in-"

"Boss!" Morgan burst into the room quickly. "I just got word, the first wave of…" he paused as he looked at me, before loudly whispering to Vault.

"He knows, right?" the scout asked in a quiet voice, earning an amused chuckle from the mercenary leader.

"Yeah, he knows Morgan. No need to be all secretive."

Morgan breathed a sigh of relief. "We just got word, the first wave of supply wagons will be here shortly, along with the first wave of our… not-human friends." Morgan informed. "It's mostly Ogres, I hear."

I made a disgusted noise unconsciously, earning a look from both Vault and Morgan. "You good?" Vault asked.

"Fine, just don't like those things, that's all," I stated.

Vault nodded in understanding. "Alright, you can hate them all you want, but don't start any trouble with 'em," he said, putting his sword fully onto his back. "I gotta go make sure we're ready for them when they get here. We'll call your training satisfactory for now, but do me a favor and try to find a way to unwind a bit, you've earned it." With that, he strode past me and left with Morgan.

After he was gone, I felt myself deflate. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this act up. This whole charade of being their ally is surprisingly draining. Thankfully, though, it has paid off in dividends. I only expected them to get me here, but now I got some more magic, some new equipment, a bit of actual training, and more knowledge about the world I am stuck in.

Now then, next on the agenda is going down and talking with the Dark Queen and her retainer, and hopefully getting the info I need. If I can't… then I guess I'll need to figure something out.

Thankfully, though, I didn't need directions down to the dungeons. They were located beneath the ground floor, and remarkably easy to locate. After all, there were a metric fuck ton of guards around the entrance, so I kinda just made an educated guess. In fact almost the entire ground floor was covered, no way was I getting through here without finding some way to draw them off.

Before I went down there though, I noticed there were a lot more wagons stationed just outside the main gates and still waiting to be unloaded. Splendid, I can use one of those to escape when the time comes, and thankfully it was close to the dungeon, so I don't have to worry about navigating there. After I confirmed we could use one of these to flee, I returned to the task at hand and entered the underground prison.


Unlike the rest of the Citadel, the place was a fair bit less elegant. Brown musty stone, remarkably bare walls and cell doors… Fitting for a prison, I suppose, but even the one I woke up in was cleaner and less worn. Surprisingly though, it was extraordinarily massive for someone who, from what I understand, takes no prisoners. Again, I couldn't help but wonder why it exists if it was never going to be used.

Finding their cell was simple enough though, I only had to follow the jeers and taunts of the mercenaries. We were down a few floors, not the bottom, or the top floor of the dungeon, but somewhere in the middle. Seems a bit odd to put them there, but I wouldn't question it.

"Come on, what's the harm in letting us get an eyeful?" I heard as I approached.

"Come on, I promise I won't tell."

"Speak for yourself, I'd brag about it all the time!"

I was surprised I didn't hear anyone, Chloe in particular, respond to the taunts, considering she's the one who wasn't afraid of telling them off in the adaptation. As I got closer, I noticed they all were pressing themselves against the bars, probably in an attempt to see more than they ever should. One of them heard my approach and looked over.

"Hey! Look who's here! The conquering hero himself!" he announced, causing the others to take notice of me too. "Here to gloat? Or maybe just admire the new trophies?"

I rolled my eyes. "Neither." My tone was flat. "Now, which one of you would like to explain to me why so many of you are down here drooling like dogs when you could be doing something infinitely more worthwhile?" I asked, crossing my arms.

A few of the men exchanged glances with each other and rubbed their heads. "Well, y'see, we figured she might need the extra guarding. She's the queen of monsters, after all." If his tone wasn't so obviously contradicting his statement, I might have believed it. "And she's a Dark Elf! I may never see another one in my life, so I am trying to burn the sight into my memory," he added, trying to help his case.

My gaze narrowed. "I suggest you figure out something better to do, otherwise I might be inclined to tell Vault that there are more than a few slackers loitering in here."

The threat of Vault got their attention for real. Some exchanged glances, and a few others glanced away as if they were trying to figure out something to say or some way to protest. "Um, if we leave, then who's gonna watch them?" Another one of the mercs asked.

With a shrug, I answered plainly. "I'm free for the moment, I can do it while you all start getting to work." My response made them all sag. "Now, get going, before I decide to tell Vault anyways," I ordered as they began slowly departing, unable to figure out a way to argue.

I watched them as they left at a snail's pace, leaving me relatively alone. I say relatively because I wasn't really, not with the two Dark Elves sitting quietly in their cell close by. I took a deep, calming breath and approached the bars. Neither seemed to want to acknowledge me. Chloe sat with her arms hugging her knees, and Olga sat on her own legs in a way that remained dignified, even in this dark and low place.

My mouth opened to speak, but whatever words I had died in my mouth.

This was my fault, wasn't it?

I was an accomplice in putting them in this situation, wasn't I?

A part of me could argue this was going to happen regardless of what I did to change the situation. Maybe Olga would have been too proud to leave, even if I had told them exactly what they would be subjected to. But those thoughts did little to give me any semblance of comfort as I looked at these two before me.

It was my fault they were in here, I did this. It's my responsibility to get them outta here even if it gets me killed, right?

"Hey…" I said quietly, trying to get their attention. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work. "Are you ladies okay in there?" I asked, but still no reaction. Maybe they thought I was here to taunt them, like all those men before did. The thought made me frown. I would need to come up with an alternate approach.

I leaned back from the bars and looked around the dark hallway, noticing some keys hanging from the end wall by the staircase. It took me only a moment to collect them and return to the cell.

I was tempted to let them out now and take our chances before it got too risky later, but that was a bad idea. There were still too many Black Dogs down here to deal with, and I didn't want to risk doing it half-baked. The plan was already undercooked, but I'm not going to take my chances, especially when their freedom is on the line.

Returning to the cell, I unlocked the door and stepped in slowly. This got both of their attention, as I entered and sat down across from them.

"Listen… I want to say, I am sorry things turned out this way," I apologized.

Olga's gaze remained neutral, or close to it. Chloe, on the other hand, had eyes full of hate, and at this point I couldn't say it was totally undeserved. "Sorry," she said in a disbelieving tone. "Do you take me for a fool, Human?" she asked with dangerously narrow eyes.

"No," I said slowly. "If you were, you would have believed me without a second thought." I reached into my satchel and brought out two apples. "I don't expect forgiveness for what happened to come easy, but I believe I should try to make things right between us." Chloe raised an eyebrow, looking down at the offered fruit.

Her gaze shifted from me, and she asked, "What is this?"

I was tempted to tell her it was an apple, but the time for humor and jokes wasn't now. "I thought you both might be a bit hungry, so I brought you some food," I offered as I held out the two red apples.

The Half-Elf shifted her gaze to me, and it spoke more of confusion than outright hate now, but that didn't mean she was ready to accept it. "Why?" she pressed.

A sigh escaped my lips. "I can't force you to forgive me, so I won't try." I looked at them both, and felt a weight settle on my shoulders. "But I do want to try and make things right, even if you never do."

Chloe glared. "You want me to forgive you? Letting Lady Olga go would be a great start."

I inwardly smiled, as surprising as it was to hear I couldn't have asked for a better transition into that subject. With a single nod, I said, "Alright."

My answer was simple and plain, but the instant the word left my mouth, Olga gave me her full attention. She had been paying attention, listening for the most part, but the instant I said that word, her eyes locked to mine.

"I thought so…" The Dark Queen's retainer said bitterly, then for a moment her eyes widened, and she blinked a few times before she asked in surprise, "...Wait, what?"

"Alright," I confirmed. "I'll help you both out of here, but I'm going to need your help," I informed them, and I won't lie, I took some degree of satisfaction in watching Chloe's jaw drop a bit.

The Half-Elf opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that spoke was decidedly less emotional.

"No," Olga said sternly. "I will not accept the aid of a Human," she proclaimed, with a gaze full of contempt. I admit, I should have expected this, all things considered. "A few short hours ago, we were your enemies, you broke into my home to capture me, and now you are readily agreeing to free us?"

I wasn't prepared for that line of questioning, but I suppose it was foolish of me to expect this to be simple.

"You were," I had to concede. "But I never wanted to capture you, I wanted you to run, escape, so I didn't have to do it," I said slowly. "Vault is… the worst man to ever be spawned into this world. He views women as little more than tools of service. I had hoped I could spare you both from that."

Olga stared intently, while her expression didn't tell me what she was thinking, "Why?" she asked again. "I do not know you, you do not know me. I am aware of the suffering I am considered the cause of, and yet you would rather have me be spared from that in spite of everything?"

I thought about it for a moment. I couldn't exactly say they didn't deserve something, otherwise they might think I was lying. What's more, the Dark Queen knows she has hurt people, caused suffering. But did she deserve to be forced to endure that same sort of suffering?

No, I don't think so.

"There are some punishments that are too cruel to allow," I stated. She doesn't deserve to get off scot-free, but no one deserves what they would be subjected to otherwise.

Queen Discordia stared at me. "So, you agree I deserve some form of punishment?"

"Yes," I said. "But it's not my place to say what you deserve. I just know it's not what Vault has in store for you."

Silence reigned for a moment, as Olga considered my words, but after the quiet settled, Chloe spoke out. "Lady Olga doesn't deserve to be punished for crimes she didn't commit!" she protested.

"Chloe-" Olga began, only to be interrupted as the other continued.

"So what if Aberrants pillaged Human lands! She shouldn't be punished because they did what they do naturally!" She stood up and glared at me with anger. "If you think I am going to let you take her away just to be executed or imprisoned for life then-!"

"Chloe." Discordia's stern and loud voice silenced her retainer. "It is alright," the Dark Queen said calmly. "I am aware of the suffering I am the cause of. If a trial and execution awaits me for that, then I will not run and hide from it."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet," I told them. "Our first priority should be getting you out of here, and to do that, I need to figure out some way to make a distraction big enough to draw most of the guards away." My eyes shifted to Olga. "Any ideas?"

Olga sat there for a moment, before coming to a decision. "I stand by what I said. I will not accept the aid of a Human. If I cannot free myself, then I will accept whatever is in store for me," she said defiantly, and I felt my heart sink into despair. Without her help, no one was getting out of here.

"I won't sacrifice my pride-"

"The bath!" Chloe interrupted suddenly, earning both my and Olga's gazes. "If you truly intend to free us, Human, then you can use your magic to overcharge the enchantment on one of the baths on the upper floors!" she informed, before gazing down at the stone.

"Please, forgive me, Lady Olga. I hate this just as much as you do, but if there is even the smallest chance they are genuine… I cannot allow this chance to free you to pass us by."

Discordia's stern gaze softened on her young retainer. "I understand," she said quietly, reaching over and petting the Half-Elf's hair. "It seems as though the decision has been made for me," Olga stated. "Chloe is indeed correct, the bath can provide the distraction you require." She stared at me, and then my hands. "You should be able to pour your magic directly into it through your hands. If human magic works the same as mine, then it should be relatively simple."

I nodded. "Thank you, I'll be back soon." I placed the apples in front of them and moved toward the door, only to stop. "For whatever it's worth, I am sorry this all happened. You may not believe me, but that doesn't change anything, it's true," I said, before leaving.

I didn't want to lock them in, but for now it was safer for them to stay there. I hated it, but it was my best choice until I could spring them myself. After all, I didn't want any Black Dog or stray monster joining them in there.

After dropping the keys into my satchel, I left to find the Bath. Maybe, after I overcharge it, I can send Hicks there. It'd be like a two-for-one deal: I blow up a bunch of Black Dogs, and Hicks with them, all while escaping with the Dark Elves right under Vault's nose.

As I entered the Citadel's Spine again, I started my long way back up. The climb was better this time, I knew not to sprint everywhere, and instead adopted a brisk walking pace. If the tower wasn't so high, I might be running all over, but for now, climbing as fast as I could without exhausting myself was the name of the game.

It felt like it took hours to climb, but I knew it was merely my own skewed perception of the amount of time it took. I wish I had a watch, at least to determine how long it took to go up and down.

I was broken out of my thoughts when I heard an announcement.

"OI!" One of Vault's men called out. "GET YOUR ASS UP HERE! THE VICTORY FEAST IS ABOUT TO START!"

Good, that meant I had free rein to search without them bothering me. I was about to enter another wing of the tower to search before I heard that same merc call again.

"AND IF ANYONE SEES JAMES, TELL HIM TO GET HIS ASS UP HERE! VAULT DOESN'T WANT TO START WITHOUT HIM!"

I couldn't help the string of curses that slipped out under my breath as I heard that last part. That complicated things… But how long was I running around for time to escape me like that?

With a resigned sigh, I made my way up, hoping my mind could come up with an excuse to not have to put up with this bullshit. Unfortunately, as I arrived at the floor, my mind failed me. I had no acceptable excuse in my head besides 'I need to go take a shit', which I am fairly certain they'd just wait for me instead of getting on with it.

"Ah, there he is!" the Mercenary said as he noticed me reach the apex of the stairs and begin crossing the bridge. "The man of the hour!"

"Let's get this over with, I got stuff to do," I said in resignation.

"Ah, come on, don't be like that. I'm sure you'll like this. Come on, everybody is waiting!" the merc said, leading me into the dining hall. When he opened the door, he called out to everyone.

"HEY! THE CONQUERING HERO HAS ARRIVED!" he announced, to the cheers of all the mercenaries stuffed into the spacious room.

I recognized Vault and the other members of his inner circle sitting on a large table, separate from the rest, and wearing a massive grin on his face as he gestured to a seat unoccupied next to him.

Oh, I did not like this one bit.

"Come on James," Vault beckoned. "We have a seat for you right here."

Everyone was giving me expectant looks. I felt I had no choice but to take the seat offered, despite how much I didn't want to. "So, why do I get a seat at the big boy table?" I asked as I pulled out the chair and sat down. "And where is Hicks?

Morgan was the one who answered. "Well, ordinarily, you would be down with the rest of the men, but Vault has taken special interest in you." As if that wasn't obvious enough. "And Hicks is off doing stuff Vault asked him to do."

"That doesn't really answer my question. Either of them," I stated flatly.

Vault's massive hand slapped me on the back. "Well then, how about this," he said before standing up and looking over his men.

"WE HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD FOR THIS DAY!" he shouted. "MANY OF US HAVE DIED FOR THIS DAMN WAR. BROTHERS, FATHERS AND SONS!" He raised his chalice. "BUT THAT WAR HAS FINALLY ENDED TODAY! TOMORROW DAWNS A NEW AGE!"

The men listened intently to Vault's speech. "BUT FIRST, A TOAST! TO THE MAN WHO FINALLY PUT THAT DARK QUEEN BITCH IN HER PLACE!" The King of Rape surprised me when he grabbed my arm and yanked me off the chair and onto my feet. "LET'S HEAR IT FOR JAMES HIND, THE MAN WHO CONQUERED THE DARK QUEEN, AND NEWEST MEMBER OF THE BLACK DOGS!"

Vault's men erupted into cheers, clapping, celebratory whistles and woos. Though, I felt like I was going to be violently ill at the thought of being accepted into this band of rapists and murders.

"I wasn't expecting this," I confessed as I sat back down, followed by Vault.

"We'll have the official induction ceremony later. For now, though, eat and drink! Celebrate! It's not every day you get to end a centuries long war," Vault said before chugging from his ornate cup.

Induction ceremony? I couldn't possibly imagine what they would have me do to become an official member.

"What is it?" I asked curiously as I began grabbing some of the food in front of me, and placing it on my plate.

The larger man barked out a laugh. "I'm afraid that's a surprise, James. Don't worry, I am sure you'll like it," he told me, before grabbing a chicken leg and taking a bite. "I got Hicks to start the preparations for it, so it should be ready later."

Hicks was preparing for it? If it was going to be what I thought it was, what was there to prepare for? "

It's so complicated that he couldn't join us?" I asked.

Kin, to my surprise, was the one who answered me. "It's not so complicated, more like time-consuming," he replied. "Many of the senior members of the company will be present, and finding them all takes some time, especially in a place as large as this, where it can take a fair bit of time going up and down looking for them."

Ah… that did not sit well with me. I needed to make sure we were gone before then.

"When is it going to be?" I asked.

Vault shrugged. "Sometime later tonight. He's also searching for one of those Dark Elf baths, since he hasn't had the chance to bathe yet." He chuckled. "I'm gonna need to have a map of this place made, the layout is kinda confusing."

"Well, whatever it is, I look forward to it," I lied. The idea of what they might want me to do killed my appetite, but to keep up appearances, I tried to eat at least a bit of it. And as ashamed as I am to say, they did a damn fine job on the steak and chicken. Juicy and wonderfully tender.

Actually, while I was here...

"Hey Kin," I addressed, "Would I be able to save any leftovers I have in my satchel?" I questioned.

Kin gave a so-so hand gesture. "You can," he confirmed, "But I would recommend only a small amount of them."

Wait, what?

"So I just put them inside like that? Nothing special I have to do first?"

Kin chuckled quietly. "Ah, it is almost funny how little you know of your own tools, but yes, simply place it inside and it is as simple as that. The Bottomless Satchel is a very intuitive, if rare, piece of equipment to have."

I nodded, thankful. "Alright, but what is too much then?"

"That depends on you. Being in the bag does not stop them from expiring, only stalls it. If you eat much and eat quickly, then as much as you think you can handle. Still, I would advise caution when storing food," the Mage advised. "Thankfully, like coins, when withdrawing them from the satchel, they should be wrapped and divided into appropriate sizes for your convenience."

"Thinking of saving some snacks, are we?" Vault asked, amused.

I shrugged. "Hey, if there is some way I can save some of this stuff for later when I get the munchies on a march or something, I'm gonna."

Vault nodded. "Go ahead and grab what you want from the tables, it's all up for grabs anyways."

I hope so. I still don't know shit about hunting, and whatever food I can procure is meant to get us to the closest fortress. "I think I'll do that..." I said, before resuming my meal. I hated that it actually was pretty tasty, but at the same time this was going to be important for the road.

Once I was done, I took Vault's advice and began collecting some easily wrapped meats. Chicken, ham, beef, venison; anything I could find, and was small enough to fit inside my bag. I was thankful for more food, but at the same time, I had to get a move on. So I grabbed what I could and hurried along to continue onto my main goal. I had been delayed long enough.

During my search, though, my mind wandered back to the talk of this 'induction ceremony' that Vault had planned.

I had a feeling I knew what it was, but what if I couldn't leave before it was time for it? How would I manage to escape? The thought terrified me.

However, I couldn't dwell on that. It didn't matter, so long as I was quick enough to avoid it. What did matter though was finding a bath to booby-trap. I searched and searched through the upper floors, and found all kinds of things: a broom closet, some weird hexagon mirror thing, and hundreds of bedrooms.

I was beginning to wonder if Chloe had lied to me for a minute, and while that was a very real possibility, I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. If she believed I was Olga's only option to escape, then why would she lie to me?

With many of the lower floors cleared, I figured I would have better luck looking at some of the higher floors closer to the throne room. Again, a lot of bedrooms and no baths. I was beginning to wonder if this was just a wild goose chase to waste my time, until I actually found it.

Now, I wouldn't have believed it possible to create a bathhouse so high up, especially for the time period this world is in. But here it was, and much to my surprise, unoccupied. I almost felt sorry for what I was about to do. After all, this was so ornate and beautiful that I wondered if I shouldn't find another way to do this.

But then I remembered precisely who would be using this for the most part, and decided I would rather have it destroyed than let it remain in Vault's hands.

I reached inside and placed my hand on the carved magic runes. The instant my hand made contact with it, I felt the connection to the spell placed there, and slowly began pouring my magic into it. It was draining, but as more flowed in, the stronger the spell got. So much so that the black runes began glowing with power.

Not wanting to half-ass it, I poured as much as I could in there until I felt it was enough. It was a mere guess, but my instincts told me not to pour any more inside, otherwise I might risk it detonating on me when I needed it to detonate when Hicks enters the bath…or whomever enters. I cannot simply assume he'll be the one to enter, even though I would like him to be.

Well, my trap is armed. Maybe I should put something like a sign up and let people know that this one is reserved for Hicks, or something?

Nah, it should be fine…. I hope.

I left the room quietly, taking care not to let anyone see me leaving that bathroom.

And now to find Hicks and send him to his death, then go back down, grab Olga and Chloe, and get outta here. Easy.

I probably shouldn't think that. I don't want to jinx myself.

Now, it was only a matter of time before someone else found my little trap, but the question was if it would be too soon or too late. I had to find Hicks before someone else discovered it.

As I made my way down, I bumped into Morgan again. "Ah, James," he said as he spotted me, "Just who I wanted to see." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a side room. By the time I managed to get out of his grip, we were already isolated.

"So, what do you think?"

"About what?" I asked, confused.

Morgan laughed. "Come on, don't be like that. Honestly, tell me."

"I still don't know what you're asking."

The scout looked around. "I know you visited the Queen and her retainer," Morgan quietly said. "And I also know that for some odd reason, the men guarding them mysteriously left immediately after," he added, "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened down there."

Ah.

"Nothing too serious." I waved off. "Just had a nice little chat, you know."

Morgan nudged me with his elbow. "Right, I'm sure. But honestly, give me some details to work with, man." He acted like he was fondling a pair of invisible breasts.

"How did they feel, you know? I bet that little retainer of hers had a nice and firm-"

Unfortunately, I still had to keep up the act of being one of these pigs, so I pretended like I caught on to what he was implying.

"Well…" I began. "Let's just say after that one-on-one time, I don't think I'll be too big on sharing," I said, and I suppose that was technically true. After all, they weren't mine to begin with.

Morgan smiled wickedly. "Ah, you want them all to yourself, huh?" he asked, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I can understand wanting to keep a hot piece of ass like that to yourself, but if you ever get tired of her-"

I found myself pinning Morgan to the wall in an instant. "What part of 'not big on sharing' did you not understand?" I asked threateningly.

The scout threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I get it, don't try and take anything from you, leftovers included," he conceded, "I get you, I get you." After I released him, he rubbed his shoulders. "Jeez, remind me not to try and take what's yours, then."

"Yeah, I don't really like getting anyone else's sloppy seconds. It's either mine or nothing," I stated simply. That was something I never really understood about this series. A lot of dudes fuck one lady, and it gets so bad that the idea of a dick going into the spooge of not one, but like, at least five separate guys; it kills any amount of arousal I feel.

Morgan made a sound of understanding. "Ah, okay then," he said, "I didn't realize you cared about that sort of thing. Not many people in the Black Dogs do, if any."

I rolled my eyes. "Shocking," I said, before attempting to leave.

Only, Morgan wasn't done with me just yet. "What do you mean by that?" he asked as he blocked my path.

"I mean, I have heard every single one of you gloat and boast about the nastiest sexcapades known to man," I told him. "After hearing enough of that, it makes me wonder what you won't get off to."

He made a sound, I presume it was an attempt to protest, but it died in his mouth. "Yeah, okay, that's fair enough I suppose," he admitted as I pushed past him. "It's not as bad as you think, though. Next lady I hook up with-"

The glare I sent him from over my shoulder must have been enough to make him stop talking. "Actually, you do you."

I started to reach for the door, before I realized I had a rare opportunity here. "Hey, Morgan, has Hicks found the bath yet?" I asked, as I put my hand on the door handle.

He shook his head. "Not yet, this place is a maze when you start looking at other rooms," Morgan informed me, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I heard that.

"Tell him it's three levels below the throne room. I'd give more specific instructions, but I'm a bit busy right now, so he can find it himself," I told him.

Morgan smiled as well. "Next time I see him, what are you gonna do?" Morgan asked as I opened the door and stepped out of the room.

I shrugged. "I'm going to check on the wagons, see if they need some help getting unloaded." With that, he left me alone, and I continued down to the dungeons.

Excellent. Morgan will tell Hicks, Hicks triggers my trap, I get Olga and Chloe out in the confusion. Everything is going according to plan. All I need to do is be ready to let the Dark Elves out and run like hell before anyone realizes what's going on. Thankfully, the wagons were still down here, so everything is going brilliantly. I entered the dungeon and-

I tensed up instantly when I heard the subtle and quiet sobs that I could just barely recognize as Chloe's.

Abandoning my quick stride for an even quicker run, I stopped in front of Olga and Chloe's cell… only to find that Olga wasn't there anymore.

"You!" Chloe barked out as she glanced up at me. "I'll kill you for this!" she threatened as she got off the floor and rushed to the bars. Unfortunately, her manacles prevented her from reaching through them to grab me. That doesn't mean she didn't try, however.

I didn't need to ask what had happened to know that the situation had just changed for the worst.

Olga had been taken.


AN: Special thanks to LittleWhiteMouse for proofreading this chapter.

So…. Sorry that this chapter is late. At the beginning of the month I lost someone I was very close to.

My twenty year old chihuahua Tiwi, she was the sweetest little girl I had ever known. We got her when she was just a puppy, barely a few weeks old and cared for her from that day on until she passed away.

I needed time to mourn and process that, and as such only got started on this chapter on the 23rd of this month, so forgive me if parts of it seem rushed or incomplete or don't make sense (I can't recall the number of minor edits I had to do). I think I got them all, but yeah.

Once again, this chapter was set up for the next. As much as I would like to get to the good stuff, the fun stuff, and the sexy stuff, chapters like these are a necessary part of reaching those. Thankfully, Olga and Chloe are going to be much more frequent from here on, so those of you that wanted to see them get excited for that. You get to watch as A Proud Dark Elf and her loyal Knight bully James around.

Anyways, the next chapter we have will be The Great Escape... or Escape from the Black Citadel...Or maybe I best just leave these chapters titled as Chapter # and leave it at that... getting off track a bit.

I just want to say that to all of you who have stuck with this fic thus far thank you from the bottom of my heart, truly you inspire me to continue writing this. I never imagined I would get so many supporters. Seeing it every time I look at this story is humbling, exciting, and terrifying all at once.

Please, leave a Favorite Follow, or review, because I cannot tell you how much I appreciate those. And I will see you in the next chapter, hopefully I'll be able to take my time with that one, since I did not like rushing this one like I did.