Morning came quickly. I couldn't help but feel like I hadn't slept much… and to be honest, I didn't. Between Olga and Chloe being only the slightest bit off from completely naked lying in the bed with me, and that if they even so much as caught a whiff of my arousal at the situation, I was boned, and not in the good way.

I had a very rough night.

Trying to focus on sleeping was a bit difficult when you have an incredibly attractive woman pressing up against you, and her equally attractive subordinate on a hair trigger.

But that was last night, this is a new day. And to be honest, I wasn't sure it was morning at first, because my sight was blocked by a view both amazing and horrifying. During the night, I had turned over… and Olga's arms wrapped around my head, pushing my face into the valley of her tits. It's a strange situation, both a blessing and a curse. A blessing since, you know, boobs. I could feel the softness, but at the same time they were rather perky. My head was kind of cushioned between them, with one on each side.

Being this close to a woman was something I always dreamed of, and in most other situations, I would be content to relax, enjoy it, and wait until she woke up and pretend I didn't mean to do it… but that's also why I called it a curse.

Now why would this be a curse, you may ask? Well, nature was calling, and I can't move, since she's got a surprisingly strong grip on my head. If I wake her up, she might get the wrong idea and assume the worst.

If I pretend to still be asleep when she wakes up, then surely I can justify it as turning over in my sleep… While that's the truth, I'm not quite sure whether she'll be thinking rationally at me being buried in her tits.

It's almost funny; of everything I've done the past few days, holding my bladder well past the breaking point is akin to the world's cruelest torture.

Thankfully, by the time I was about to reach the point where I would sprint towards the bathroom, her arms released their death grip on my head, and I was free. I didn't waste a damn second, shooting up and damn near run to the adjacent bathroom. And by God, or Goddess, or whatever divine being there is here, it was such a relief. Embarrassing as it may have been to spring out of bed and speeding my way straight to the bathroom, at this point I was about to burst. I didn't care anymore.

Once my business was done, I left the bathroom and found Olga (still topless) awake and in a pose that looked like an erotic pin-up. She was sitting up, inspecting her raised hand, watching lightning dance around her fingers. Her back was slightly arched, pushing her breasts out a bit. The blanket covered her legs, but I could tell she was resting on her knees and her lower body was barely covered.

The sight of it was captivating, I couldn't take my eyes off of her if I tried.

"I haven't felt this well in ages…" She watched the magic distractedly, as if fascinated by it. "For so long I had gotten used to having near nothing… I had almost forgotten what it felt like."

God, she was beautiful.

"It seems the spell worked last night. I can feel more mana than I had previously," she said, finally turning towards me. "I am far from filled; however, even the small amount I had taken from you is more than I have had in years."

….

Oh, shit she said something. Quick brain, say something!

"I… You…. Uh…. " My mouth moved, but my brain was too distracted. "Gorgeous…"

YOU HAD ONE FUCKING JOB BRAIN!

We stood stock, still staring at each other. I froze because I blurted the first thing that came to mind, and Olga because I'm pretty sure she was too taken aback to actually respond.

I was thankful Chloe was still asleep, because if she wasn't, I was pretty sure I would be fighting a feral Half-Elf right now.

We sat in silence for a few moments, probably because we weren't sure how to respond to the situation. I was internally screaming at myself for what I had just said out loud, and Olga was just staring at me with wide eyes. Was it too late to backtrack? Try to amend what I-

"I… Thank you," she spoke after a moment. "I suppose allowing you to gaze upon my body is enough of a payment for granting me some of your magic." She held a small, almost teasing smile.

"You… aren't mad?" I asked a bit dumbly.

Her gaze shifted from me back to her hand. "I am in a good mood. As such, I will permit you this as a reward for allowing me to use you in this way." Her eyes traveled back towards me. "I am aware I am beautiful, it is simply a fact. I appreciate your attempts at refraining from ogling us, even if you fail to resist the urge to do so. I do not blame you. You are a man, it is only natural," she explained, but it left me only a bit more perplexed. "For your service, I believe I shall allow you this small boon. However, abuse this privilege and I shall ensure you never have the chance again."

I'm free to look? At least for now?

"I…" I tried to formulate a reply, but as you can imagine, I failed to come up with a proper response. What do you say to that? Here's a woman who's got an unnatural beauty, an impossibly slim, but busty figure, saying I was free to ogle her.

So I looked, and god-damn… somehow, despite her already revealing outfit giving me a good idea of how she would look naked, seeing those wonderful mounds unobstructed is something that I will treasure for the rest of my days. They were picture-perfect, hell if I had a camera, I would be taking so many fucking pictures… But I'll have to rely on memory, so I shouldn't stare for too long. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so I turned my gaze towards the floor.

"You want me to grab your clothes?" I offered.

"No, but if you would be so kind as to draw me a bath and have a change of clean clothes arranged for me after, I would be grateful," she said in a tone that was soft and appreciative, unlike her normally stoic and indifferent voice. She must be in a fantastic mood.

Indulging her request, I went to the bathroom and began filling the tub with water. After fiddling with the hot and cold knobs for a bit, I finally got it to a good warm temperature, without it being near scalding hot.

"Alright, water's ready," I said as I turned off the water, but the moment I turned around I saw Olga approaching, completely unfazed by the fact I was still in here to enter.

"My thanks." She gave me a small smile. "When Chloe awakens, would you please send her in? I need her help to wash my hair." Somehow I do not doubt that she needs help with that.

As she passed me, I couldn't resist the urge to glance backwards, and almost felt sad that hair was covering her butt. For only a few moments before I saw her fingers hook under her thong, and before I violated her privacy, I quickly looked away.

"These will need to be washed as well," I heard, before a hand appeared in my peripheral vision and deposited the black cloth into my hand.

The realization of my situation was a bit of a shock. Olga is now stripped naked behind me, and slowly entering the bath… I took a deep breath and tried to regain some form of composure before walking out of the room.

Once I was out, I closed the doors to give her a sense of privacy. Now that I think about it, do Dark Elves even have a sense of privacy? I mean, with how they dress…

Then again, damn near every girl is borderline nude, so maybe not. Have I pondered that before? I feel like I might have.

Anyway, I looked at the thong now in my hand and shook my head. Where would I take this and her corset thing to get it washed?

Now that I had it in my hand, though I was a bit confused…. How did she keep this on?

Magic? No, 'cause that'd just be wasteful… How does this stay on? I found myself so engrossed by it that as I went to pick up her sleeves and… stocking things, I ended up next to Chloe's side of the bed.

When I looked at the Half-Elf, I saw that she was awake, aware, and like Olga before her, nude from the waist up, and mostly nude from the waist down save for the panties. She looked mad…. Or maybe frustrated was the better word.

"I don't understand it," she finally murmured in a quiet voice.

"Understand what?"

She got out of bed, making sure to keep her body covered with the blanket, and gestured to her surroundings.

"This!" she said slightly louder, not loud enough to be normal speaking volume, but enough to add emphasis. "You! Lady Olga! THIS! For so long she maintained her stance that humans were below her, that she couldn't care less about them, but then you come along and everything starts changing!" She turned around and marched towards the window. "For decades, we lived alone in the tower, a simple kingdom of two… but now here we are, in human lands, helping them deal with their own troubles!"

Her voice was still quiet, but the frustration in it was loud.

"Even now… before, she would have hated the idea of a human, let alone a man, seeing her body unobstructed, and just a moment ago she allowed you to see her exposed." The Half Elf looked down at her lap. "I just…" she began, before her arms fell almost in defeat, not knowing what to say.

I took a seat on the bed next to her. "I'm sorry," I said after a moment. "Change is hard, and you two have gone through a major one in a very short time." I glanced over at her. "Still, even if you're not a fan of it, you have to admit that of all the possibilities, I'm probably not the worst thing that could have happened to you."

Chloe remained silent, her eyes leaving me and just looking down.

"I mean, you've still got Lady Olga, you're not in chains, you've got a soft bed, and a warm meal ready for you, right?" I said, trying to get her mind onto the positive things about the situation. But I could still see her expression hadn't changed, it barely seemed like she was listening to me. "Look, I'm not going to pretend to know exactly how you're feeling, but I've got a decent idea. You face a situation where everything you've known has changed, your world feeling like it has just been flipped onto its head."

"How could you know?" she demanded with a glare.

I resisted the urge to laugh, instead letting out an amused huff. "You're not the only one who's got to deal with a situation like that," I said, thinking back on my own situation: someone taken from his home and getting in over his head trying to do his best in a fucked up world.

Chloe's gaze softened, and returned to her lap.

"I never asked for this, to be a dragon in human skin," I confessed, gesturing at myself. "I was raised a human, content to be human; I… I never wanted this. To be so far from home without even knowing if I will ever see it again." A humorless laugh escaped my mouth. "It's almost funny; I've got strength, I've got power, I can do so much now… except return home."

The Half-Elf remained quiet, and we settled into a strange silence that she broke after a few long moments. "I suppose you do know what it's like."

"Yeah…" I said quietly. Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but words never came out, instead dying on her lips. Feeling like the conversation was over, I stood up, snatched some fresh clothes, and got myself dressed. Before I left, I remembered what Olga asked me.

"By the way, Olga wanted to know when you woke up. Gotta get these washed, so… See you later," I said as I made for the door.

"Wait," I heard. "Could you take my outfit as well?"

Nodding slowly, I walked over and grabbed her clothes off the floor. I took my old clothes too, since if we were washing everything, might as well add these to the pile. I was reaching for the door when something hit the wall next to my hand. It fell softly, and it only took me a moment to process what it was.

A thong. Her thong. Grabbing it and adding it to the small pile, I left.

As I opened the door, I paused as I found myself staring at Alicia with a fist raised to knock, only for her face to have an expression of surprise and confusion. "Uh…" she said, spotting the clothes in my hands and then peering behind me. I glanced behind me, and-

Yep, Chloe was walking naked to the bathroom.

… Still got to be one of the finest ass's I've ever seen.

I turned back to Alicia, who was now red-cheeked and looking away. "I see you had an… eventful night," she muttered after a moment.

For a second, I wondered what she meant, before I realized how the situation looked: Arms full of old clothes, Chloe striding into the bathroom naked…

"It's not what you think," I said immediately. I almost felt embarrassed, but at the same time… how could I? I've been walking around with sexy half-naked elves for the last few days, and Alicia herself is wearing a glorified bikini.

She waves her hand. "It's no business of mine who you- WHAT you do with your time," she said quickly.

I just laughed. "You think too much of me… or maybe them. Between you and me, they aren't exactly fans of humans."

"Ah… right." Alicia glanced back into the room for a moment, before refocusing on me and the bunch of clothes in my hand. "And this is?" she inquired curiously.

"Well, we haven't had a chance to wash our clothes in a few days, so while we are here, may as well do it while we're safe," I explained with a shrug.

"I see. Well, we have business to discuss so…" She trailed off, turning around and beckoning me to follow. She led me to a servant and had me deposit the clothes in their practiced hands. "Take those, wash them, and have them returned to the guest quarters," Alicia ordered.

The servant nodded, and dutifully departed with their new task.

"So… business?"

"Not here, my office."

Nodding in understanding, I allowed her to lead the way. On the way, though, I stopped by the window, spotting a curious sight. I saw a bunch of people outside the gates; couldn't tell what they were doing from here, but it looked as if they had simply… well, gathered.

"What's going on down there?"

Alicia joined me by the window, a sigh leaving her lips. "One of the things we must discuss," she said a bit ominously. I left the window with some reluctance and continued following her.

By the time I arrived in her office, I noticed Prim and her father were here too… What's going on?

"How do you do, Sir Hind?" Prim asked, with a small curtsy.

Now, that would have been polite in most situations, and it was… except her outfit made it come off less as polite, and more like a massive tease. She grabbed the sides of her dress, which was already open in the front, pulled it out a small amount, and bowed her head, allowing me a good look at her cleavage and a better view of her bare legs.

How can a person this cute be so sexy without even really trying?!

… Wait a minute, how old is she again?

Oh s***, please tell me she's eighteen. I mean, with a body like that, how could she not?

… But she has such a cute face… UGH! I need to stop, at least until I know for sure. But my personal conflict aside, I bowed to her to be polite, and inadvertently positioned myself to stare directly at her b***.

So I did what any sensible person would do, correct my posture and pretend I didn't see anything.

… She does have a nice pair, though.

Gah, stop! Don't ogle the potentially underage princess!

"Ah, Hind!" The large man greeted me happily. "Good morning!"

"Uh, good day to you too, King Fiorire," I greeted, relief washing over me, as it seemed he didn't realize I'd accidentally checked out his daughter. "I'm surprised you're still here. I figured you would have left to go and review your security already."

"We plan on leaving a little later this morning. I will be taking a small company of Knights for security, but I'm leaving most here to defend Feoh until that wall is fixed," he informed me.

Good. I'm not sure how the Black Dogs planned on taking Ur, but if Beardsley had anything to do with it, I may have saved two fortresses at once.

"Alright, Mister Hind, as for the reason we brought you here… we have a situation," Alicia stated, closing the door and locking it.

I turned and glanced back at the Feoh Princess. "We do?"

"Indeed. A few, actually," answered King Fiorire, gesturing to the window. "You seem to have amassed a small following."

Huh?

"A following?"

"Yes… Those people down there seem to think you are some kind of savior sent by the Goddess." His tone was neutral. "Normally, such a thing would be declared heresy…"

That… doesn't sound good.

"…and quickly culled…"

That definitely doesn't sound good.

"… However, given the dragon, your strange power, and the siege, I think it's safe to say Her Holiness must be consulted on this matter."

Okay… Celestine is reasonable. At least, she would be merciful to the people who decided to do this. On another note…

WHAT THE HELL?!

"— ames? Mister James?" I faintly heard Alicia speak up, trying to get my attention. "Did you hear me?"

I shook my head. "Sorry… a bit distracted, I suppose," I said absently, glancing out the window at the crowd. "What did you say?"

"I said that from what we understand, it began yesterday, after the attack was repelled. People that witnessed you seem to have been the cause of this… spontaneous worship. My advice is to avoid directly interacting with them until you meet with her Holiness. At least it will let us affirm that you didn't foster this intentionally, understood?"

Nodding along, I kept my gaze out towards the people. "Wouldn't it be best if I told them to stop or something?" I suggested, but Alicia shook her head.

"No. Whether you are or aren't telling them to worship you, interacting with them like that is acknowledging what they're doing. If you do, it could make the issue worse," she calmly explained.

"So what do I do?"

"For now, nothing," King Fiorire answered. "We felt it best to inform you of this now, before you ended up speaking with them, intentionally or not." His voice was stern, like a parent commanding their child.

I nodded in understanding. "Was that all?" I asked, but seeing Alicia shake her head made me frown.

"Not quite. We've managed to discover an encampment of Black Dog Mercenaries that broke off from the main retreat. We suspect they're a detachment from the main army to monitor our rebuilding progress, but even so, they may have some of the women that have been reported missing," she said matter-of-factly. "I understand you may be in need of proper rest and recuperation, and I promise you'll be properly compensated for the issue, but I would appreciate your aid in their rescue."

Okay, rescuing people was a thankfully straightforward issue. "Don't worry about it, so long as I get a meal and a place to sleep tonight that isn't a shit inn, then I'm good."

Alicia smiled slightly. "Consider it done," she said easily. "Now, I believe Prim had something she wanted to discuss with you as well."

The pinkette's head snapped towards Alicia, an expression of surprise on her face. "A-Alicia… I didn't mean-! I-I meant that-! Ohhh!" She began to trip over her words as her face turned more and more red. She glanced between me and Alicia.

"I… I… Ummm…" Prim looked between me, Alicia, her father, before finally throwing her hands in front of her face and running out. "I'm not ready!" she cried out as she sprinted past me with a surprising amount of speed for someone so small.

"Ah! My little Primrose!" her father called out, chasing after her.

Blinking, Alicia and I shared a similar state of confusion. "Is she alright?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

The blonde simply sighed with a light chuckle as she rubbed her forehead with her hand. "I think so," she said with a fond smile. "Prim has always been a bit shy… I probably shouldn't have put her on the spot like that, but she just needs some time to calm down, and we can try again."

"Ah… okay. So what now?"

"You go and grab some food, I'll get a wagon ready for any prisoners we find. Meet me at the stables here in the inner fortress, and then we'll be on our way."

Seeing no reason to disagree, and without anything better to do, I nodded and left her to go find me some grub.

After getting lost and stumbling on the kitchen, I had a quick breakfast after grabbing some fruits and a sausage. I then returned to my room to get ready: Armor, sword, and meeting with the Dark Elves again. However, when I entered the room, I was met with a sight that was a bit more… provocative than I had anticipated.

Olga sat on the small couch, a towel wrapped around her torso, enjoying a cup of what I can only assume is tea with a small assortment of pastries, along with Chloe, wearing another towel. And I could not help but think 'Those towels cover more of their body than their outfits… but how are they just as sexy?!'

"Ah, Hind," Olga began, setting her cup down. "Have you returned with our clothes?"

I shook my head. "They're being washed… or at least, I think they are. I've got another job to do, might be back later tonight, but don't be surprised if I don't return 'till morning."

If my track record for these kinds of things is any indication, it will take a while.

"I see." Nodding, Olga took a small sip of tea. "Well, if that is the case, Chloe and I shall remain here. I have no desire to endanger myself for no good reason."

"Alright, I wasn't going to ask anyway. Figured I'd let you know while I was here, after all."

She glanced at me. "I understand," she said, grabbing a small pastry. "Thank you for telling us."

"No problem, I hope to see you guys again when I get back. It'd be a damn shame if you ran away again." I said sarcastically as I grabbed my weapons. Once I was armed and armored again, I began looking for the stables… which was an entirely different issue due to the fact that I didn't know where they were. Thankfully, after some directions and extra guidance, I eventually managed to find them. Alicia was talking with one of the Knights, before she noticed me.

She dismissed the knight who left to her other duties. "Are you ready?"

"No, I came out here to take a nap," I replied sarcastically. "Is everything ready?"

Seemingly undeterred by my sarcasm, Alicia nodded. "Yes, but we have a small complication." She climbed onto the wagon. "We are on our own; most of my knights are on guard duty or recovering from the attack. I trust this won't deter you?"

I gave her a flat look. "I fought a dragon, rode it for a bit, and killed it while almost everyone enjoyed the spectacle. A couple of glorified bandits are nothing compared to that."

She gave a small smile, "Good. Now climb on and start driving, I'll give you directions."

Ah, right…

"Alright, so there's one problem… I don't know how to drive a wagon."

The flat look she gave me spoke for itself. With a sigh, she beckoned me up. "Fine, get up here, I'll drive," she said, grabbing the reins.

Climbing on and sitting next to her, Alicia wasted no time getting it moving. We had to go slowly through the inner fortress due to so many people being in here. Until the wall was reconstructed, they probably only felt safe here… But at least they are safe. Even if I hadn't been able to prevent the attack, I was at least able to repel it.

My good mood soured slightly as we began leaving the inner fortress, and I noticed something. Bodies were being piled up, men who worked with the Black Dogs, and burned.

I found myself ignoring them at first, but then my eyes spotted a young man, looking barely older than maybe sixteen… and I felt nothing.

No sorrow, no regret, not even an ounce of remorse for a young life cut short.

"Mister Hind, are you alright?" Alicia asked, drawing my attention to her concerned face.

"Yes… No. I don't know," I said softly, returning my gaze to the road.

"What's on your mind?"

"I didn't feel anything," I said quietly. "I don't feel anything… but satisfied they're dead. Does that make me a bad person?"

I should be feeling something else, shouldn't I? Some kind of shame or resentment that a kid died?

Her lips turned into a thin line. "I… I don't know. I don't think you are, but…" Alicia paused, considering what to say next, "Not feeling anything from ending lives isn't natural."

"… What do I do, then?" I asked, unsure, as I glanced back at the dead boy… a fool who allied himself with the Black Dogs.

Alicia thought for a moment. "I would suggest that when we meet with Her Holiness, you speak with her about it. If anyone can provide an explanation, or at least some comfort, it would be her," she proposed.

Nodding slowly, I accepted that. If there was anyone who could help me, it should be her. I glanced back down the street.

"Okay…" I said quietly, though my mind still focused on that boy's face. I didn't feel a damn thing about it one way or the other. Maybe it was because he was an enemy, but I should still have felt something, right? I know they are bad, but…

Was I truly any better than them if I couldn't find it in my heart to feel anything for them? Every person I have killed up 'till now, and I cannot tell you with any certainty that I felt something of value at their deaths. The first human being I ever killed, in that village… I don't even think I had any regrets or reservations about taking his life… just that he needed to die.

With a deep sigh, I forced myself not to dwell on it, trying to focus on the task ahead, but the concern still lingered. I couldn't have imagined feeling nothing towards death before I came here, but now? It's something I can't bring myself to even really care about… and that scares me. Am I still me despite everything?

… Still, I need to focus on the upcoming fight. For now, my lack of empathy for the Black Dogs, no matter who or what they are, will serve me well.

Alicia took us out of the fortress, taking care to avoid the newly formed fanatics.

I wasn't sure what to think about this situation just yet. People worshiping me… It was a bit surreal to imagine. I had expected some form of notoriety for killing a dragon, or fame for repelling the invasion, not worship. Perhaps it's my fault for not thinking that far ahead, but regardless, that's the situation, and I'm entirely unprepared for it.

"… Mister Hind?" I heard Alicia say. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, seem to be having trouble focusing today. What's up?"

The Princess nodded. "I understand… today is one full of unexpected events. Even so, we mustn't allow ourselves to be lost in them," she advised. It sounded good, but at the same time, I wasn't sure if I should take advice from someone I know would surrender her entire city for just a few nuns.

"But back on the subject, I wanted to try to get to know you a little more."

Hm?

"Really?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"Yes, really. I like to know the people I'm in command of, including you."

"Why?"

She gave me a sidelong glance. "It was something my father imparted on me. 'How can you expect to lead your people if I don't know them?'" she said, doing an impression of a man I assumed to be her father. "I've done everything in my power to know every woman in the 'Knights of Iris', kept up with their birthdays, relationships, and interests."

"Everything, huh?" I asked with an amused tone, "That knight you were talking to, what's her cup size?"

"Last I was aware she was a C-Cup, although that may change in the future, as she would like to try for a child with her husband. I've heard stories of that causing growth," she replied, completely serious, leaving me a bit dumbstruck… Not because she knew, but because cup sizes were apparently a thing here.

… I mean, I guess it makes sense they do, otherwise how would they get outfits like Alicia's battle bikini and Prim's dress without some form of measurement?

"Huh…"

"Her birthday is also the third of next month. She likes lavender, is interested in one day becoming a housewife, and will model for her husband when he wants to paint," she continued, before giving me a somewhat smug expression. "Anything else you would like to know?"

"No, no… you've made your point," I said, although I was still a bit dumbfounded.

The princess turned her head back towards the road. "So, Mister Hind, if you do not mind me asking, what was your home like?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "I know you come from some place beyond our borders, but nothing else, besides that your home seems to be the only one that has managed to recall history from before the Goddess."

Hmm, why do I get the feeling she's hunting for some background information?

"Well… I'm not sure what to say to be honest. We were firm believers in freedom of all things. Freedom of speech, of knowledge, and of belief."

"Freedom of belief?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was once decided that no one should be prosecuted for their beliefs, even if others considered it heretical. You could believe in the Goddess, or maybe some other God, or Gods. You could believe in nothing but nature itself, because at the end of the day, it was no one else's business but your own."

"Lady Celestine tells much the same. Lady Kaguya, the Shield of the Third Fortress, Thorn, believes in some strange-faced god," she told me, although I already knew that. "The Church of the Goddess has expressed a desire to attempt to convert them from their faith, but Her Holiness has made it clear they were allowed to believe in whatever they desired."

Huh.

"Really?"

"Yes," she said plainly. "What about freedom of knowledge?"

"Ah, that's a bit harder to explain," I said, thinking for a moment. "We've ensured a system that creates public schooling for all walks of life. Commoners are taught the same subjects as nobles: Mathematics, History, Arts, things like that. After all, a smarter populace is key for advancement and creativity." I saw a small glint in her eye at the mention of that, but continued talking. "Also, no one can infringe on the pursuit of knowledge. Libraries are open to all, and things like the burning of books are seen as taboo or criminal acts." I said, perhaps giving my own bias on the subject.

The Feoh Shield looked intrigued. "Public schooling?" I noticed a raised eyebrow glance at me.

"Yeah? What about it?"

Why did that- Oh, right, schooling doesn't usually exist as something for kids in medieval fantasy. It's often things like Magic Academies, or maybe Knight Schools, not teaching just normal subjects like Math and History.

She raised a hand to her chin in thought, keeping her grip on the reins with the other. "I've heard of schools in other kingdoms. Kimia has a Magic Academy, but those are only for those who can afford it and have a talent for magic."

I felt my own interest growing at that info. There was a Magic School here? Maybe I ought to visit… then again, any institution the Dragonborn visited in Skyrim tended to end with him at the head of it, and I've got enough on my plate as is, so maybe not.

"You're thinking about setting up a school?" I guessed. When she gave me a brief nod, I continued. "Hm, well, make sure whoever you hire is a good person, and are paid well. It will be their job to educate children after all."

I knew how bad it was back home, and maybe it could be avoided here… provided I managed to stop Vault anyway.

"I'll consider it," she told me with a small smile. "So, Mister Hind, I won't bore you with more questions about your home. Instead, tell me about yourself." She glanced at me. "Do you have any family? Friends?" I thought nothing of the question, until she added in a small voice, "… Lovers?"

I briefly wondered why she asked it so quietly, but then I remembered that Alicia was somewhat… inexperienced. Perhaps it wasn't exactly something she was really comfortable talking about?

"Well, I have my parents back home. Once this whole situation with Vault is done, I'll have to find a way back," I confessed. After all, I save the kingdom, prevent a mass rape and crime against humanity… What else am I going to do? I can't just go 'Oh, I got isekai'd. Well, new world, here I come!'

I wasn't going to just abandon them. If I can find a way back, then I will.

"I understand," Alicia said empathetically. "Are they far from Eostia?"

"Yeah. Really, really far," I said hesitantly.

"I see," she said slowly. "What about friends? Surely you have those as well, yes?"

"A few, been a while since I had seen any of them, though. Never really found the time, schedules were usually just too different." There were a few that I still talked to, but many of my friendships have faded in recently. No one really wanted to play games anymore, or were busy with other plans. As such, I spent a lot of my time replaying Skyrim, just because I didn't have anything better to do.

That actually sounds kinda sad now that I'm actually thinking about it…

Alicia grimaced. "Oh! I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I… didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

I shrugged. "Eh, not sad, really, but… I don't know, maybe it's more melancholic than sad, but it's not your fault. Things like that just happen."

"Even so, the loss of a friend, no matter the circumstances, is difficult," she said sympathetically. Hearing her say that, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. I could hear the pain in her voice, and knew she was referring to Beardsley.

"Are you alright?" I asked seriously, my casual tone replaced by one of concern.

Alicia simply shook her head. "No, I'm not," she said quietly. "He like was an uncle to me, and for so long I believed him to be a steadfast pillar of support. Now, I have to confront the possibility of him being a traitor that had harbored nothing but lust for me."

I raised a hand to give her a reassuring pat, but thought better. I doubt she would want to be like 'it's okay,' or anything like that. Because what he did or wanted to do is not okay. It's not any kind of platitude that I can give her in this situation.

"We'll get him," I stated instead. "Even if I have to Shout him apart, he won't get away with his crimes."

She nodded quickly. "Yes… then I will have the truth." She began slowing to a stop, and it was now that I realized we were out of the city…. How did I miss that?

"But for now, we must focus. The Encampment is close, and there is something I would like to discuss first…" She finally stopped and dismounted, and I got off too.

"Okay, what is it?"

Alicia walked around to my side of the wagon, "I must ask you to refrain from using that… Shout of yours," she instructed. "I don't want any of the prisoners being harmed accidentally, so you will not use it, am I clear?"

"I wasn't planning to. It's powerful, but not exactly something I want to use as a first resort." I accepted her terms easily. After all, it's hard to save someone if I end up splattering them against the trees and rocks.

"Good, glad we understand each other." She nodded in acceptance. "Follow me, the scouts reported them here. We'll go in quietly and check the encampment first, I want to know what we're dealing with first."

That was fine by me.

"You're the boss."

Smiled, she began moving into the forest, with me not far behind. We traveled slowly, trying to remain undetected, and managed to remain so until I realized there was no sign of there being captives in the camp.

"Didn't you say there were prisoners here?" I asked, and Alicia nodded.

"I hoped so, but it seems they may have been moved. Come on, perhaps we can find their location in the camp," she said, both of us drawing our weapons.

Glancing at the small camp, I counted the troops. There were only a couple of monsters, and about a dozen men.

"Bet I can kill more than you," I challenged with a grin… before freezing briefly at realizing I just made a bet about who can kill more people.

Maybe I am turning into a psychopath.

Alicia glanced back, but I saw her eyes flash for a moment. A small smug grin appeared on her face. "No Shouting, and no magic unless absolutely necessary," she set the rules.

"You're on."

We both charged down into the small camp, and my first kill was claimed when I stabbed a man in the back.

"ONE!"

"ONE!" Alicia called out in return, and when I looked over, she was wrenching her sword out of a mercenary's gut.

I was about to move onto my next target, only to find myself cut off by a large Troll. However, I was a lot stronger than last time I fought one of these things. It swung its arms, aiming to bash my skull in or maybe dent my armor, but the swings were wild and predictable, and as such I managed to stab straight through its chin and out the top of its head.

"TWO!" I shouted as I pulled my sword free.

Alicia responded with her own "TWO!" However, I couldn't see what she had killed, as I found myself grabbed by an orc, and from the pressure on my sides he was trying to crush me or something to that effect. And surprisingly, it didn't hurt quite as badly as I had imagined. But while I struggled my way out, I noticed a Black Dog charging me with an axe.

Winding my arm back, I delivered as hard an elbow as I could at the Orc's chin, briefly stunning it. While it recovered, I quickly freed myself just in time for the mercenary to swing the axe down and cleave the Orc's head in two. While it struggled with the axe now embedded in its head, I watched as the Orc grabbed the man and, well… bent him, raising him high above and folding him like paper. But when the Orc dropped him, the corpse had a hand on the axe, and violently ripped it out. The pain made it stumble backwards, trip over a stool, and land on a tiny goblin.

"THREE!" I heard Alicia in the distance.

Glancing over at her, I saw her not paying attention to my direction. I quickly stabbed the Orc.

"THREE! FOUR! FIVE!"

This may be cheating, but I did cause their deaths, technically.

A Black Dog in some actual armor came charging at me.

"For Lord Vault!" he screamed, only to miss his first attack, and promptly got his head taken from his shoulders because it was just too tempting a target.

"SIX!"

"FOUR! FIVE! SIX!" Alicia called out from her spot, and when I turned around, I watched three bodies fall around her, each grasping at their necks as they slowly dropped to the ground.

Frowning, I searched for my next target, only to see the last of them fleeing into the woods. "Damn it," I muttered. I didn't want a tie. Despite this, I shot a few ice spikes at the ones that had run away. I got a few, but the last one managed to get too far for me to have any degree of accuracy.

The Princess Knight wiped her sword clean on one of the bodies. "Alright, you check the leader. I'll begin looking through the chest they had. By the way, I know you cheated."

Spinning around, I couldn't help but look incredulous. "Cheated?"

"You didn't kill the goblin, or that mercenary," she pointed out. "It only counts if you do it yourself."

Since when was that a rule?!

"I caused it!" I defended as I began looking through the leader's pockets, while Alicia approached their chest and began rifling through it.

"You did, but you didn't kill them," she argued, pulling out a letter. "Hmm…" she hummed. "Seems they moved the main camp to a more defensible location. Come on, I want to get there before nightfall," she informed me, pocketing the paper… wait a minute, where did she just put that?

Regardless, she led me even further into the forest. The sun had shifted a bit in the sky, and by the time we reached the main camp, it was close to midday… How did we walk?

Anyway, we slowly crept up on the main camp and managed to remain quiet enough not to draw attention… until I saw the defensible location.

"What is this place?" Alicia asked, her eyes widening in amazement, as I groaned quietly. It was a god-damn Nord burial mound!

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I complained aloud. I wasn't in the mood to deal with one of these places today! I just wanted to clear an enemy camp, not this!

"Is there a problem?" she asked, giving me a look that was both surprised of my sudden statement and a glare for being a little loud about it.

Right, sneaking around. My bad.

I sighed. "No, don't worry."

This is going to be my whole day, isn't it?

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Alicia eyed me strangely, but we continued to scout the small encampment. I saw a few monsters; some goblins, some orcs, ogres, and a few dozen men. "I'm not seeing any women," the blonde stated what I had noticed. "Could they be in that structure?"

"Knowing my luck? Probably," I said with an almost defeated tone… 'Course, this couldn't be easy. Couldn't just kill them all and have Alicia escort them back and go spelunking, I just had to go in there to rescue them. "Welp, let's not waste any more time and get to the rescue," I said, earning a frown from Alicia.

"No, there are more here than I expected," she said, and I just gave her a flat look. "We should go back and-"

Before she could finish, a scream echoed throughout the area. A woman's scream. It was clear it came from the mound.

"Damn it…" I heard her mutter to herself, a fist clenching at her side.

I glanced at Alicia, seeing the conflict in her eyes. Ah, her bleeding heart's fighting her brain, and the latter is losing that fight fast.

"Hmm…" I thought for a moment. "Okay, what if we-"

"INTRUDERS!" A voice called above us, I instinctively shot an Ice Spike straight above us, nailing the Goblin sitting in the tree above us. As its body landed between us, we exchanged a look, realizing what had happened. "So much for the element of surprise!" I exclaimed, taking my sword out while Alicia did the same.

The Black Dogs charged at us, and I found myself fighting back to back with the Princess of Feoh. Despite what the series would have you believe, she actually knew what she was doing in a fight. Without anyone or any way for them to manipulate her bleeding heart, she was strangely competent.

Despite using a single sword, her fighting style was both flashy and deadly, her swings swift and powerful. It was one thing to see them from afar, but being down next to her makes it abundantly clear: She's more skilled than I am with that sword… Which is a bit odd, to be honest.

I watched her parry one Black Dog grunt, following up with a slash to the chest that nearly cut him in half. Not to be outdone, I dodged an Ogre's haymaker and latched my hand onto its face and shot an Ice Spike point-blank… only for the beast to quickly smack my hand away, causing me to misfire at a poor Black Dog. Hmm, I may need to shake up my strategy.

Regardless, I managed to correct my mistake, this time stabbing it in the gut and disemboweling it for making me miss.

We continued to fight, but it was clear there were many more people here than either of us thought. For every one we killed, more and more came out of the woodwork, or from the tomb. We fought and took down a few dozens, but killing them isn't the problem. We'd been fighting for a while, and while I got stamina to spare, I could see Alicia starting to slow down.

We got surrounded; that wasn't particularly alarming to me, but it wasn't myself I was concerned for. I may have confidence in my abilities, but I wasn't exactly certain Alicia could keep up long enough to finish this.

"We need to move!" I shouted to her as I blocked an attack. "We can't stay in the open like this!"

"Where?!" she asked back. I caught her blocking two men's blows, then retreating to avoid an Ogre's fist. She was being forced onto the defensive… I need to change the situation now.

I glanced at the surrounding forest, then the tomb. There were almost guaranteed to be more people inside, but we could use the narrow paths and traps to even the odds while Alicia recovers.… Well, we'll have to go there anyway.

"Make a break for the structure, I'll give you an opening!" I told her, looking at the tomb, and inhaling I shouted a single word.

"FUS!"

While I suppose that broke my agreement with her, she didn't seem to mind too much, as I threw many of them on their ass's For a moment, I wondered if I should have used more words, but seeing as how I actually wanted the entrance to remain standing, I was satisfied that I didn't huff and puff and blow it all down.

Her chance was created, and she wasted no time disengaging from her opponents and making a sprint towards the structure while I followed right behind. "Come on!" she called out as she reached the iron doors and began to slowly push them open, revealing a narrow staircase.

Arriving second, I grabbed both doors and pushed them shut. Thankfully, there was a wooden bar ready to block the door. I threw it down, and despite their attempts to force the doors open, the bar held, and they were stuck outside… while we were inside.

"Looks like it'll hold them for a bit," I stated, despite the furious banging on the other side.

"And we're trapped…" She sounded worried… Oh, right.

"No, we're not," I corrected. "There's always a back exit to these places. We just have to go through the tomb and come out the other side."

"How do you know?"

"Been in two of these places before, we'll be fine. So long as we don't fall for any traps, or any creatures that might be living here…" I shivered at the memory of the spiders… I hate spiders.

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "And you never mentioned this, because…?"

"You didn't ask," I answered simply.

A sigh of irritation escaped her. "Will it hold?"

I glanced back. "I think so. They don't seem to be making any progress breaking it down, but I don't think we ought to stick around and find out."

"I see," she nodded. "Come then, we still have my people to rescue." Alicia refocused on the task at hand. She's right, we have a job to do, best get to it.

Slowly, I backed away from the barred entrance. The monsters outside were still banging on it, but it seemed to remain steadfast in its integrity.

Turning away, I headed down with Alicia. Time for another dungeon crawl.


Feoh, later that evening.

The Dark Queen Olga Discordia ate dinner with Chloe. Currently, she was looking through Feoh's books on magic, and couldn't help but frown as she realized the amount she could teach James was a bit more than expected. It caused her to sigh as she mentally went through the subjects she may need to teach him. While her mind was occupied with the thoughts of her eventual teachings of the new Dragon Slayer, she couldn't help but notice her own subordinate picking at her food.

"Chloe," she addressed her loyal knight. "Are you feeling well?" She asked in a soft voice.

The Half-Elf looked up at her mistress, nodding quickly. "I'm fine, my Lady." Despite saying this, her tone, posture, and the idle stabbing of the potato on her plate told otherwise.

"Are you upset with me?" the Sorceress asked, setting her book down to focus entirely on her subordinate.

"Wha-No! Of course not…" Chloe trailed off.

With a sigh, Olga shook her head, "And yet, something is bothering you… Tell me, what's wrong?"

Olga's loyal knight looked like she was about to continue and try to deny, but she hated lying to her mistress… And so after a moment, she relented.

"I don't like being here," she said. "Humans are untrustworthy… and here we are, in one of their castles, enjoying their food and drink as if we were esteemed guests when we were considered their enemies not more than two days ago." She leaned back in her chair, and looked at the floor where Rex, James' newly acquired pet, sat there looking up at her with sad begging eyes. She caved in soon after, tossing the dog some food.

"And this upsets you?"

"Yes," Chloe said immediately. "But also, no," she added after a moment of thinking. "When it was just the two of us, things were so much… simpler."

Olga silenced her with a hand. "That's not the only issue, is it?" she asked directly, earning a shocked look from the Half-Elf. It was the correct question to ask, as Chloe sadly nodded, unable to look at the Dark Queen and whatever her gaze may be.

"No," the Half-Elf confirmed. "I am… concerned that he…" she trailed off, Olga instantly knowing who she was referring to. The one human she was so afraid of that she couldn't even bear to say his name. "He was an important man to these kingdoms… he had many connections, and now hiding from him will be-"

Her voice froze in her throat as her Mistress silently got up and pulled her into a hug.

"You need not be afraid of him. Even though we are no longer in my tower, my promise to you still remains," she soothingly told her subordinate, stroking her hair and keeping the sitting blonde's head to her chest.

Chloe knew it was a lie. Olga could not stand against her former master. All her power, all her magic… there was almost nothing that her beloved Mistress couldn't do… except this. It was one of the reasons she dedicated herself to guarding Lady Discordia… so that she would never be forced to face a monster such as him.

"I know."

The Dark Queen continued to hold her for a little longer. An act that Chloe very much appreciated; even if it didn't soothe her fears, it did provide comfort. "Good," Olga said, finally pulling back and allowing Chloe to look up at her. "Now, there is something I need to discuss with you," she stated, returning to her seat.

"I've had some time to get a handle on the power I have gained from Hind," she allowed lightning to dance across her fingers as if to illustrate her statement. "It has allowed me to gain some understanding of his power, and I am sure I can replicate it in time…"

Chloe's eyes shined. "That's wonderful, Lady Olga!"

The Dark Elf Queen, however, shook her head. "However… I need more magic. More time." She leaned back in her seat. "If I were to create a mana pool that replenishes itself, I believe last night's… event will need to be repeated," she said seriously. "And I am unsure how long I will need to do it before I can create a spell to replicate his seemingly endless supply."

The Half-Elf warrior frowned. "… Must we?"

"We?" Olga glanced at Chloe with a raised eyebrow.

However, before she could explain herself, the door was suddenly thrown open. A strange device was thrown into the room, and before either of them knew it, gas began to pour out of it.

"Seize them!" an old man shouted as numerous armored women poured into the room. In an instant, Chloe threw herself in between the armored knights and her Queen. Both of them began to feel weaker, as the gas entered their lungs and began robbing them of consciousness.

Despite their weakening, Rex began barking and growling threateningly. Olga barely had the time to see the human women who began to pour into the room. It only took a glance to recognize the knights as the Dawn Templars sent from Geofu. Despite her fading awareness, she saw the loyal canine attempt to fight back, to defend them.

"Silence that mangy mutt!" shouted the same man, and despite delivering a nasty bite, a loud whine followed, and then she could not see the dog anymore. Her vision blurred, and the last thing she saw was the one giving the orders. An older man, a gray head of hair with a mustache that matched, in green/yellowish clothing.

He smiled. "By my order as Prime Minister of Feoh, you, Olga Discordia, are under arrest for laying siege to this city! For deceiving the Princess! And for all the crimes you have committed before today," he declared as she lost all consciousness and succumbed to the gas.

"Now, put them in chains! I want them restrained and ready for transport to Geofu first thing in the morning!"


Special Thanks to LittleWhiteMouse.

AN: Here is a proper chapter.

Now, we are approaching a Traitor's End, and oh believe me I am looking forward to that.

Once Beardsly is dealt with we enter the next little "arc" of this fic, and I am looking forward to actually getting to the other Fortresses and getting to EVERYONE ELSE.

I got a lot planned for this fic, and I am so damn upset I don't have a whole lotta time to write chapters. Please god let me make good progress this year.

Anyways, sorry this took a bit longer to put out. Finding time has been hard recently, and it seems like it's getting harder and harder recently. I am currently hating the fact that I am not exactly making much progress with this story very fast… It's especially infuriating when I want to explore other fics but given that at this rate it is going to take forever to make it to the end of Kuroinu… Yeah, I need to figure something out… but thats for me to worry about. Enjoy the chapter, I'll see you guys later.

Stay awesome, and again thank you for all the support.