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Special credit to Beta reader and Soundboard Midnight Lost. Big thanks to my friend Zweig for his ideas and contributions.
Chapter Three: We all wear masks. (Part One.)
In the White Citadel, the Princess Knights had convened once again. Celestine was ready to disclose her decision… however two members of their number were missing. One, they knew had been captured by the enemy. But the other princess, Prim, was nowhere to be found, and she was not the type to arrive late without a good reason.
They agreed to wait for a little longer, expecting the young pinkette to come through the doors at any moment and showering them with apologies for making them wait… but still she didn't arrive. "Not like Prim-chan to hold things up." Maya muttered as she took a long drink from a tankard of ale, glaring at the entrance to the meeting chambers.
"Oh dear. I hope nothing bad has happened." Celestine muttered in a worried tone, placing an open palm against her cheek. Had Prim gotten into an accident of some sort?
"You think her scummy suitors are badgering her again? If they're bothering Prim-chan again then Ruu-Ruu will bite them a lot! And they will all hate it!" The halfling shouted while gnashing her teeth for emphasis.
The other Princesses giggled a bit at Ruu-Ruu' protective and energetic nature. Still, that was definitely a possibility. Prim had countless suitors that sought her hand in marriage, her cousin Alicia often being the one to chase them away. If poor Prim was being heckled by more suitors then it was no wonder she was late. On a side note, why was Ruu-Ruu so obsessed with biting people?
The doors to the meeting chambers opened, and the various Princesses smiled, believing their comrade had finally arrived… however it was not Prim that entered. It was a woman with dark skin and silver hair, a pair of wolf ears atop her head, identifying her status as a Beastwoman, and a large two-handed sword strapped to her back.
She was accompanied by the form of Claudia's father-in-law, Graves, who had a stern expression on his face. Maya was the first to recognize the wolf woman and spoke up "Holy shit. That's Leona, the boss of the Hakuro mercenary company."
The now identified Leona stepped forward and began to explain herself "Apologies for the sudden intrusion… but it is my regret to inform you that your Princess Prim has been taken by the enemy." Dead silence permeated the room as everyone could only stare in shock at this news.
Sensing the oncoming barrage of questions, the silver haired woman continued "The Princess approached the enemy under a white flag in order to attempt negotiating a ransom for her cousin. My scouts report that she and her caravan entered the First Fortress, but never came back out. Before she went on this mission, she contracted me and my mercenaries to guard the Second Fortress for her and to pass the word along if she failed or succeeded."
Most of the Princess Knight knights could only stare blankly in shock, the one exception being Kaguya who seemed to be in deep concentration, her lips moving silently as if she was whispering a mantra. The first to snap out of their stupor was Claudia as she slammed a fist into the table, creating a series of large cracks across the marble surface as she shouted "THOSE HEATHENS! HAVE THEY NO HONOR?! TAKING A DEFENSELESS GIRL UNDER A WHITE FLAG?!"
Graves crossed his arms and huffed as he spoke in a callous tone "What a foolish girl. There is no negotiating with the Legion. We're all just meat to them."
"So what?! She should have just left her cousin in there?!" Maya shouted as she threw her now empty bottle at the aged knight's head, making him lean to the side allowing the bottle to sail harmlessly past him. The crimson haired woman then jumped from her seat and shouted "THAT IS IT! I AM DONE DICKING AROUND! We are all going to march on the Legion and get our friends back!"
This earned a cheer from Ruu-Ruu who was now wildly swinging her axe around. Claudia nodded in agreement as she drew her blade and Kaguya broke from her meditation, her face a blank mask as she slowly nodded as well. "I'm afraid that the final decision lies with Celestine-sama." Graves muttered with a deep frown, not liking where things were going with this.
The High Elf nodded as she stood to her full height and began to speak "Indeed. I am afraid that the decision has been made for us. We will…" she left her sentence hanging at the end, a dizzy spell overcoming as her vision began to swim and blur. "We… will…" she tried to finish, but the words wouldn't come out as she felt her body heating up.
"Is something wrong Celestine-sama? You… you don't look well." The goddess' loyal bodyguard noted, seeing that the High Elf was becoming pale… and then she saw crimson droplets leaking from her nose. "Celestine-sama?! You're bleeding!" Claudia shouted with the other Princesses staring in surprise and worry.
Celestine placed two of her fingertips to her nose and then pulled them back, seeing the crimson liquid staining her fingers. Then… Her eyes rolled into her head as she collapsed like a puppet with its strings being cut, only just barely hitting the floor thanks to the quick intervention of Claudia and Maya who managed to catch her in time. "Doctor! Somebody summon a doctor!" Claudia shouted out.
Ruu-Ruu immediately rushed out of the meeting chambers to seek help. The elf goddess' breath was shaky and uneven, all the while her dear friends tried in vain to comfort her and keep her calm, all the while trying to figure out what was wrong with her. In the background, Kaguya pulled out a trio of leaves hidden inside her sleeves and inserted them into her mouth, closing her eyes as she began chewing on them.
"Now is not the time for snacking!" Maya snapped angrily at the priestess, but the black haired woman didn't react as she approached Celestine's twitching and spasming on the floor. Kaguya then placed her lips over the blonde elf's own and used her tongue to push the chewed up leaves into the goddess' mouth.
"Swallow." She ordered, and tilted Celestine's head back to assist her in gulping down the contents in her mouth. The goddess' throat bobbed, signaling that she had swallowed, and color began to return to her face and her breathing relaxed and steadied. The others stared in amazement at this scene, whatever the priestess had given the High elf, it worked like magic.
"The hell?" Graves muttered, the others slowly nodding since that perfectly summed up what had happened. They all turned to the aloof priestess, their eyes silently demanding an explanation. Standing back to her full height, Kaguya then spoke "My god told me that someone would attempt to do harm to Celestine-sama and to keep those herbs on hand to prevent her demise."
"Who?! Who would do such a horrible thing?! Celestine-sama is a saint! She couldn't and wouldn't even harm a fly!" Claudia demanded angrily, her fist clenching tightly and her eyes blazing with red hot fury.
"Is it not obvious?! The Legion are behind this. They have poisoned her! There is no other explanation for this! Our indecision has left us open and vulnerable to the enemy. We have to prepare ourselves before it is too late." Graves shouted, earning a nod of agreement from his daughter-in-law. Normally, Claudia was a calm and collected individual who supported her beloved friend and charge's ideals of peace. Now? She held nothing but rage in her heart, her serene demeanor giving away to her growing hatred.
Due to her skill in battle and role as the bodyguard of the goddess herself, people refer to her as the Invincible Valkyrie… and she was going to show the Legion exactly why she had earned that epithet. However… there was something else that needed to be addressed… "Kaguya… you knew… you knew this would happen. Why didn't you say anything?" The Valkyrie asked glaring heatedly at the priestess who was currently cleaning the blood from Celestine's face with a cloth.
Both Maya and Graves looked at the priestess in suspicion, the former having a softer expression as she hoped that there was a good explanation for why Kaguya hadn't said anything. "I would have, but my god forbade it. If I had said anything, then Celestine-sama would surely have died." The priestess explained calmly, her words prompting Graves to grab her by her robes and pull her up to eye level as he stared deeply into her eyes.
"We're going to need more than that. We have tolerated you and your beliefs in your foreign god for too long. You had better start talking!" The aged warrior shouted, causing large droplets of saliva to splash onto the priestess' face, but she remained unflinching and unfazed as she stared back with a listless expression.
"I am not the enemy. The real enemy is still after Celestine-sama's life." Kaguya responded slowly and carefully, which seemed to anger the old soldier further. He seemed almost ready to strangle the priestess to death but was stopped by his daughter-in-law who placed a hand on his shoulder.
"She is right, the Legion are still out there. Who knows what they may be plotting? I have known Kaguya-san for some time now, and Celestine-sama also trusted her. I know for a fact she wouldn't do anything without just cause, and she would never do harm to Celestine-sama, as we witnessed just now, she gave her the antidote to what ailed her." Claudia spoke to her father-in-law, attempting to calm him.
"Convenient how she happened to have the antidote on hand. Perhaps she is the assassin?" The aged man questioned, earning a small scoff from Maya who gave a look that said 'are you serious?'
"You going senile you old shit?! If she was the assassin then she could have just let Celestine-sama die. We need to figure out how she was poisoned to begin with so that it won't happen again!" Maya shouted angrily and then reached up and pulled the priestess out of Graves' grip. Kaguya simply straightened her hair and clothes in a relaxed manner, completely ignoring the fact that she could have been throttled. Even in his old age, Graves Levantine was still known for his great strength; had he attempted to strangle her, her throat would have easily been crushed.
Leona remained in the background, largely forgotten by everyone as she observed the scene before her. "If you have time to point fingers, then you have time to take the fight to the Legion." The wolf woman finally spoke up, earning the attention of everyone, she then continued "While you're yelling and playing 'whodunnit' the Legion are still out there and could penetrate deeper into Alliance territory at any time. If the enemy's goal was to divide us, it would seem they are succeeding."
The room fell into silence at her words as the Princesses and the old knight exchanged looks, and silently came to agree with her statement. She was right, if they continued arguing then nothing would get done and then the war would be lost. Suddenly, Ruu-Ruu burst into the chambers with a female Bishop in tow "Help has arrived! Is she alive?! Tell Ruu-Ruu that Celes-sama is alive! If nobody says something then Ruu is gonna scream and bite everyone!" The little halfling shouted, bouncing up and down with tears in her eyes.
"She is alive. I had the antidote." Kaguya spoke, sparing everyone's eardrums from rupturing. The last person who made Ruu-Ruu scream at the top of her lungs ended up losing their sense of hearing. The 'attack dog' then quickly wrapped her little arms around the priestess' waist, anime tears falling down her face as she cried out "Waaaaaaaah. Thank you shoooo muzchhh!" The Halfling wailed, her words becoming incoherent as tears and snot fell down her face.
"There there." The black haired girl spoke gently and soothingly patted the orangette's head to calm her. The Halfling then broke off the hug and bounced back, wildly swinging her battle-axe with reckless abandon, making everyone step back to avoid getting hit by it.
"Who did this? Who?! Ruu-sama demands to know! Ruu will kill them all! Ruu will find them and chop them up and bite them and do horrible things to them! Ruu will do it! Yes! Ruu will deliver unimaginable pain and torture on them and bite them!" The enraged Halfling shouted. Making Maya gulp nervously in the background since Halflings were known for three things.
First, they were known for their unwavering loyalty to their friends and family. Secondly, they were an all-female race that was supposedly capable of mating with any species. Thirdly, despite their tiny frames, they were inhumanely strong, especially when enraged. On one occasion an enormous bear stole Ruu-Ruu's food when she went to do her business in the woods, when she found the bear helping itself to her foodstuff… the Halfling Princess flew into a rage and wrestled down that bear using only her hands and even broke its spine.
Leona stepped forward and stopped the Halfling Princess' axe with her large sword, causing sparks to fly. "If it is your wish to fight, then come with me. We shall face the Legion together at the Second Fortress. Everyone, we will hold the Second Fortress as long as possible, you marshal your forces so that we may mount a counterattack against the Legion." The beastwoman spoke, causing the orangette's eyes to light up and sparkle.
"Yes! Ruu-sama will fight too!" The Halfling stated excitedly and then turned towards the goddess' bodyguard and said "Ruu-Ruu will let you take command of the Halfling Army for now! Ruu-sama is finally off to war!" With that said, the Halfling and Beastwoman made their exit, leaving the others behind.
"Now then Claudia… I may have a plan. With Leona's assistance we may be able to turn things around." Graves muttered, causing his daughter-in-law to slowly turn to him, ready to listen to his strategy now. No matter what, she would avenge her friend. She would not let this attempt on Celestine's life go unpunished.
"Before we speak on any further matters regarding the war. We should get Celestine-sama to her chambers so that she may rest and be better protected." The female bishop stated, earning a series of nods from the others.
Claudia picked up the elven goddess in a bridal carry and took her away to her private chambers so that she may recover in peace. Kaguya approached the Bishop and stated "You are Bishop Eleonora Bern."
The female Bishop turned and bowed slightly before replying "Correct. Though some refer to me as Bishop El for short. I don't believe we have met before now."
"We have not." The priestess stated before closing her eyes and seemed to be silently praying until she spoke aloud again "I shall pray for Celestine-sama's safety. This war is going to get much uglier before things get better."
"Indeed. I cannot imagine just how much worse things can get… or maybe I simply don't want to." Eleonora spoke as she too joined in prayer, praying to the goddess for protection. Once she was done praying, she followed after the Valkyrie so that she may further tend to Celestine.
Kaguya said nothing as she returned to her own prayers to her mysterious god. During this time, Maya was currently deep in her own thoughts as she adopted a thinking pose. Kaguya was right… things were going to get worse. Much worse. Something had to be done, and fast.
Meanwhile. First Fortress.
Naruto hummed a merry tune to himself as he walked along the hallways of his Fortress, passing by human servants and his demonic soldiers, both of which he ignored. He had received summons from his mother, demanding his presence to speak of important matters.
No doubt it would involve her loss of magic and perhaps the invasion. Their next stop being the Second Fortress, which possessed the strongest defenses in the Alliance. When he had earlier stated that it was the least defended, he had meant that it was manned by a skeleton crew, militia mostly and a few of the Fiorire family's own soldiers.
Prim had not said anything about her arrangements, but Naruto guessed that she must have hired a mercenary company. No surprise there. When a war drags on for centuries there is no shortage of mercenaries to hire. His former homelands, the Shinobi Nations, were proof of that.
He entered a chamber, decorated with black marble and found his mother in only her birthday suit, reclining on a chair as Chloe knelt down in front of her, massaging her Queen's long legs, kneading them and pouring warm oil on her body. "Ah. Naruto. Welcome." The Queen greeted him in a somewhat lazy voice, obviously enjoying the oil massage. Her dark skin glistened in the light which made her naked body all the more erotic.
The whiskered teen smiled at his mother, feeling blood rushing to his loins. She took notice of the bulge growing in his pants and spoke in a teasing voice "Mmm. It seems someone is getting excited. How long has it been since you last received some relief?"
"Too long. Been busy. Invading a nation, capturing Princesses, and sorting through the Prime Minister's grimy stain-covered paperwork had been something of a grind… especially that last part." He replied at the end with a grimace, earning some looks of disgust from the Dark Elves, which was replaced by a soft moan from the Queen as her loyal aide began massaging the arches of her feet.
"Mmm. Anything of interest?" His mother questioned, wondering if the Prime Minister had any more skeletons in his closet. The more ammunition they had against him, the easier it would be to convince the people that she was obviously the superior and more fair rules. Happy and content people are the easiest to control after all. Fear and terror could only go so far in subduing the sheep. Any tyrant can become feared, but a true ruler is at least respected if not completely loved by their subjects.
"Quite a bit. He's been stealing goods and embezzling money for his own dirty dealings, nobody noticed since he was the one that supervised and kept track of everything, so there was no real oversight to keep him in check. He also hosted lavish underground parties to try and curry favor and cut deals with various Nobles. He also spent this coin on prostitutes. Young blonde ones." The whiskered teen reported, causing both Chloe and Olga to start turning a little green.
"Please. Talk about something else. I am in the middle of something here and I do not wish to vomit on Olga-sama." Chloe pleaded, earning an apologetic look from the Uzumaki as he gave a quick 'sorry.'
Olga cleared her throat, letting out a soft moan as Chloe began massaging her thighs and then spoke "Very good my child. We can take advantage of this information. Also, I am going to arrange for a masquerade ball to take place. I think you might enjoy it."
The whiskered teen tilted his head slightly and replied "A ball? Already? A bit early to be celebrating, don't you think?"
"Perhaps a bit, or perhaps not. Not only did you capture the First Fortress with ease and terminate the Kuroinu, you have also claimed two of the seven Princesses in a very short amount of time. I'd say that calls for a little celebration. Additionally, all the nobility within the Fortress will be gathered there and I plan to extract promises of loyalty and support from them." Olga explained, earning a nod of understanding from her son.
"Not that I wish to question you Olga-sama… but do you really think the nobility will stay loyal to you or keep their promises?" Chloe asked, her hands moving up her Queen's body and began massaging her smooth stomach.
"Of course not, but having them under my heel will make things easier in the long run. That aside, if they try to turn against me or undermine our operations… I shall leave my dear child to deal with them." The Queen spoke with a devious little grin, knowing full well what happens to those who attempt to harm her or betray her.
"Leave it to me." The blonde teen replied and gave a dramatic bow, earning an appreciative smile from his mother. Her face took on a more grave expression as she clapped her hands twice, causing her aide to cease massaging her body and quickly fetched a towel and robe for her Queen.
"One more thing, and perhaps most importantly. I believe I have found the reason behind my lack of magic." Olga stated, her expression hard as stone and her voice as sharp as a flint.
"I'm listening." Naruto spoke as he approached her while Chloe began patting down and drying off the Queen's body and retrieved the purple bathrobe from the blonde Half-elf.
"After running some tests and consulting my books. I have successfully determined that I am afflicted with some form of a curse. Powerful and Forbidden magic." She spoke, her voice filled with venom, her eyes glaring daggers.
"That explains a bit. Vult and his men march on you, bust into your castle. The Curse hits you and you're rendered powerless, enabling him to… you know." The Uzumaki stated, piecing things together as he helped slip the robe onto his mother's form. He then pressed his body to hers, tying the sash around her waist and inhaling her sweet scent.
"Indeed. In theory, if we find the source of this curse, we can end it and my power will return… though I think we both know who is behind this. Until that point of time… I will need to take advantage of you, in more ways than one." Olga spoke in a husky voice, her cheeks taking on a dusting of Pink as she reached down and grabbed her son's groin. From the feel of it, his balls must be so full that it must be painful for him.
"Feel free. I am and always will be yours. Your general, your shield, your son, your pet or plaything. Anything for you. Because I love you, mother." Naruto spoke and kissed the nape of his mother's neck. Just off to the side, Chloe watched the scene with a slight hint of jealousy, seemingly wanting to join in with perhaps the only two people she loves wholeheartedly.
Olga knew that Naruto would do anything to please her. He would do anything for the ones he loves. Plus… he enjoyed experimenting and trying out different things in the bedroom to better please his lover(s). She then gave a sadistic smile and stepped away from her son as she spoke "Later my dear child. We have a party to plan… and besides, the pleasure of your release will be greatly heightened after you've been blue-balled a bit."
"You're so cruel. Tease." Naruto replied in a mock hurt tone, earning giggles from the two Dark Elves. The Forgemaster then inwardly frowned, to whoever it was that had cursed his mother and set her and Chloe up to be sex toys… death would be too great a kindness for them.
Elsewhere.
The two princesses Alicia and Prim sat together in a comfortable silence, the latter sipping a cup of tea and the former staring out the window, observing a bird's nest that was tucked into a tree branch, a mother bird feeding her hatchlings. Alicia turned to her cousin, noting that the pinkette was now wearing a tracking collar like she was, which was now tied around Prim's ankle.
"Is something wrong Alicia-chan? You seem like there's something on your mind." Prim noted as she set her cup down, which prompted the blonde princess to slightly frown and rest her chin on an open palm.
"I just… don't get it." The knight muttered, her fingers drumming on the table and then she gestured at the room they shared, a comfortable suite that was fit for royalty as she continued to speak "We're in the enemy's hands and yet we're being treated more like guests than prisoners. We're not rotting in a goddess-forsaken prison. He doesn't seem interested in showing us off or flaunting us as his trophies. More than that… he saved you from that poison instead of letting you die. I just don't understand that guy."
Prim closed her eyes for a few moments and then spoke "I haven't been his captive for long… but from first impressions, I don't think that Naruto-san is a bad person. Still, I wish I knew why he would support Olga-san and her conquests, aside from the obvious of course."
The blonde princess slowly nodded and replied "Yeah… He didn't say it outright… but when he came to get me from the hospital… he said something odd. I think that maybe something bad happened to him when he was a child. He then hinted that there was something more to why Olga has been waging war against us, but he didn't elaborate on it. Ah! I almost forgot! He mentioned he was from the Far east like Kaguya, that he came from the Shinobi Nations. Do you recall anything about that?"
"Shinobi… Nations… I remember the name at least. I do remember Kaguya-chan telling me about them once, but I can't remember. Something about them being in an almost constant state of war, and not much else." Prim muttered in an unsure tone.
"That's more than I remember. Still… just what is his game?" The blonde girl muttered. Thus far, the Forgemaster had conducted himself in an honorable manner and was most definitely not a typical Legion marauder.
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at their door, prompting the two princesses to call out 'come in' in unison. Unsurprisingly, when the door opened, the form of their captor stepped inside… except he was accompanied by the forms of two Dark Elves. One Alicia recognized as the woman that accompanied him during their duel, Chloe. The other one they hadn't seen before… but they both had a strong idea of who she was.
"Ladies, allow me to introduce my dear mother and queen, Olga Discordia, and her retainer Chloe." Naruto spoke, introducing the two elven women. Prim immediately swept into a polite and graceful curtsy, a gesture that the Queen returned in kind while Alicia crossed her arms and stood defiantly, glaring at the Dark Queen. The person they had been fighting against for years, the woman who plunged Eos into a constant state of war.
"I see the nasty little one isn't with you." Alicia muttered, still remembering Luca's earlier rudeness. How dare she insinuate that she was trying to seduce Naruto? What even gave her that idea. Just thinking about being in bed with the enemy made her feel dirty.
"Oh Luca? She's taking care of some things for me." Naruto answered as he leaned back against a wall. His mother approached the two princesses, a strange little smile on her face as she took in their forms, noticing the pink haired girl had a somewhat fearful look at being in her presence while the blonde princess seemed like she wanted to strike the Dark Queen down if she had a weapon in her hand.
She let out a soft laugh and then spoke in a tone of amusement "Two of the Seven Princess Knights. Alicia and Prim. We meet at last. I know what you think of me, it is no secret that everyone in Eos thinks of me as nothing but a monster or a warmonger. An evil Dark Elf with a grudge against humankind."
"Are you going to tell us that is all untrue? That you have waged war in Eos for years and years out of love and compassion for humans?" Alicia asked sarcastically, her words making Chloe growl slightly under her breath, ready to pounce on the blonde knight for her insolence but was stopped when her queen raised a hand.
"No. I do hate humans. With a deep passion… with the exclusion of my beloved child of course." The queen added, gesturing to her son who gave a small two-fingered salute as Olga continued "I just want you to hear my side of the story. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant, though maybe it will help you better understand my motives. Correct me if I am wrong, but prior to the founding of the Church, the history of Eos largely remains a blank slate, yes?"
"According to the texts, the people of Eos fled from a foreign nation that was embroiled in a big war that spanned the continent." Prim spoke up, having thoroughly studied history over the course of her education. A very expensive education.
The queen nodded in acknowledgement and then stated matter-of-factly "True, but that is but a tiny piece of a much larger truth. One that has many holes poked into it by those and power and further deteriorated by time itself. Long ago, before humans even set foot on Eos, it was inhabited by the peaceful and compassionate High Elves, and the wild and proud Dark Elves.
One day, humans began to arrive in droves, refugees fleeing from their war-torn homelands as previously stated by Princess Prim. The High Elves quickly welcomed these newcomers with open arms, helping them settle and colonize the land to help them make a new home. The Dark Elves however, were far more wary. Humans are complex and fickle creatures, and even the most well-meaning human can easily fall into the darkness.
Time passed and as the humans grew stronger and more numerous, they began aggressively expanding. The High Elves peacefully integrated themselves into this burgeoning human society, meanwhile we Dark Elves chose to live free as we always did in the wilds, far away from the influence of outsiders. As the years dragged on, both High Elves and Dark Elves became fewer and fewer in number within Eos. Humans have a funny way of breeding rapidly if given the chance.
Eventually, what you know as the Church of Larentia came to be, a religion that came to worship a member of the High Elves who possessed the power of clairvoyance and helped avert many disasters. However, behind the scenes, beneath the grandeur and splendor of the Church, something much darker was brewing.
What was once meant to be a bastion of peace and equality for all became twisted and corrupt, how and when I do not know. We Dark Elves were declared as corrupt beings and enemies of the goddess. We were hunted down for decades upon decades, humans took many of my people as slaves, either for their twisted pleasure or for coin. Slowly but surely, my people were bred out or snuffed out by humans. Our lands and homes despoiled, and our High Elven cousins remained ignorant of everything, blinded by the 'love' and 'praise' given to them by the humans, even as they slowly dwindled in number as well.
Eventually, I was one of, if not the last pure blooded Dark Elf in Eos, all of my friends and family, almost all of my people, dead or enslaved by humankind… and the humans who worship a living goddess, a High Elf, a non-human, celebrated our demise, unfeeling and unsympathetic to our plight because we were 'dirty dark Elves'.
I then made a resolution, that I would tear the Church down to the ground, with my bare hands if necessary. So I formed the Legion to avenge my fallen people and destroy the Church. The sad reality is, that for all the preaching your Church spews about love for others… it only applies to humans. The only reason they worship your current goddess Celestine is due to her clairvoyance, which they use for their own convenience.
My army was strong but undisciplined, cobbled together from scratch. Monsters and brutes who only knew how to violate and despoil, the only thing keeping my army together was my own will and my ability to empower others. They were not the ideal army given their amoral nature, but I needed an army to fight the Church. Then… quite ironically, a human child changed everything." The Queen finished gesturing to her son once again. A look of deep nostalgia on her face, complete with a warm smile.
At the end of her story, both of the princesses exchanged looks of uncertainty. On the one hand, it was certainly a sad story. Her people, her homelands, forcibly taken and defiled by humans who just kept on taking and taking, and their cousins, the High Elves, remained ignorant of it all as they were worshiped. On the other hand, there was no proof of what she was saying, her words could be little more than a ploy to mess with their heads and gain some form of sympathy.
"You don't believe me." Olga stated bluntly, she then gave a dismissive scoff and added "Your belief is irrelevant to me, as I previously stated. However, mark my words, the Church is now a cesspool of corruption. They shackle the minds of those who follow them, and despoil and destroy those that won't. Whatever they were when they were originally founded, it has long since been twisted into something ugly and wrong, and I will see the sins of the Church dragged into the light and exposed for all to see. I just hope that you can arrive at the truth for yourselves before it is too late."
With that said, the Dark Elf Queen turned on her heel and departed and made her way to the door, but before she exited the room Olga spoke "Ah, I almost forgot. My apologies. You're both invited to our masquerade ball that is being held tonight, and your presence is mandatory. Until our next meeting, my dears." With that said, Olga exited the room with her ever-present retainer following behind, leaving her child alone with the princesses.
He slowly approached them, his hands on his hips while shaking his head as he spoke with a slightly saddened expression "I think my mother has been holding that in for a while. She's been wanting to tell people her story for a long time. I think that, deep down, she is a really lonely person. Something I understand all too well; being alone. BUT! Now's not the time for sadness, it is now a time to have fun!" He exclaimed at the end in an excited and chipper manner, surprising the two princesses at how quickly his mood changed.
"Now let's see about getting you two ready. You're going to need masks and dresses. For Prim-hime, I'm thinking of a butterfly theme." Naruto muttered, snapping his fingers, causing a beautiful pink and white dress to appear before the gentle princess, along with a butterfly mask.
"For Alicia, something bolder, I think. Let's see, you're strong and brave and loyal, and you'd do anything to protect your cousin. I'm thinking that a wolf theme would suit you." The Uzumaki said, snapping his fingers once again, which caused a dark blue and black dress to appear with a silver colored wolf mask. He then waved his hand, placing a dividing screen between himself and the two princesses as their respective dresses floated into their hands.
"Try them on for size, if you don't mind. They may need adjusting." The Forgemaster directed, the princesses didn't like that they were being forced to attend a ball hosted by their enemy, but there was no choice in the matter given their present predicaments as prisoners. They slipped off their usual clothes and tried on their new ball dresses, and were surprised to find that they fit very comfortably.
Alicia had to admit… he was pretty good with magic. She had seen many magic users during her time as a Princess Knight, all of varying degrees of skill, and many had difficulty performing even the most simple of spells. Naruto though? He seemed capable of conjuring most anything within reason, plus he was a Forgemaster, there was no telling just how truly skilled he was. As a matter of fact, she doubted that he had yet to use his true power.
"The dresses fit okay? I kind of had to make rough estimates." Naruto admitted from his side of the divider, his question prompting the two cousins to respond in unison with a quick 'yes'.
"You seem quite skilled and comfortable with using magic. Is there anything you can't do?" The blonde princess asked, hoping to prod her fellow blonde a bit, who simply chuckled at her inquiry.
"Not that I wish to boast, but due to my unique circumstances, I have virtually inexhaustible reserves of energy." The whiskered teen answered, his words making the knight quirk up an eyebrow. There was that phrase again, one that he had used before, 'unique circumstances'.
"What circumstances are those?" Prim asked, unknowingly asking the very question her blonde cousin was about to utter. The Uzumaki simply smiled, which went unseen thanks to the divider as he placed a hand over his stomach for a brief moment before clenching his fist.
He then relaxed and stated "Apologies ladies, but I must be going now. I have some things to attend before the ball. I'll see you both tonight." The two princesses then heard the sounds of his retreating footsteps and the door closing behind him, leaving the two princesses alone. They exchanged looks… it would seem that Naruto's history would still remain a mystery… for now. However, bit by bit, they were learning more about him. It was only a matter of time before they found the kink in his armor and discovered his past.
Meanwhile. Alicia's former office.
Luca hummed merrily to herself as she diligently polished her master's dancing shoes to a mirror shine. His clothes were clean, pressed, free of lint, and his signature Hannya mask had also been clean and polished as well.
Before she met Naruto, she was just one of many orphaned slave girls being sold on the black market, except that she had the distinction of being a Dark Elf, which made her both rare and valuable. A 'premium collector's item' as many of the slave merchants called her. She remembered being crammed in a too-small cage, being fed half-eaten scraps and lying in her own filth.
Being told about what would become of her day after day by her captors. The things they said, still gave her nightmares to this day. Then, out of nowhere, she was bought and taken by the human who would become her master. In those first days, she would constantly hurl insults at him and threaten him if he ever touched her, fearing that he had only taken her for whatever demented and depraved pleasures he had in mind.
Instead, he treated her with nothing but kindness and patience. He fed her good food, gave her a large room that had a big bathtub, he taught her to read, to write, to fight, and many other things. Whenever she did something wrong, he didn't beat her or yell at her or say cruel things to her or threaten her. Ever calm and patient, he would gently correct her and help her figure out how to do better and avoid making further mistakes, and would only ever punish her if she stepped over the line.
Without him, she would have just been another nameless slave, used and abused until she died, then her body would have been thrown into the trash and forgotten about. She hated humans with extreme prejudice like her friend Chloe who was also a former slave, but her master Naruto? He was special. Truly and utterly special. She would happily serve him, protect him, kill for him, and if he so demanded or asked, she would happily bear him as many children as her body could handle.
Anything he wanted, it was his. No questions asked. Now if only he would start paying more attention to her than those damned human princesses. What was he thinking? Surely he couldn't be thinking of claiming them as potential mates? Just imagining him in bed with those damned humans just made her skin crawl.
"I know that look. You're feeling jealous aren't you?" Spoke the form of her master, making the black haired girl stiffen up and turn around, facing her master who was now sitting at a desk. Seriously, how did he walk so silently?! It was almost inhuman. She didn't even sense his presence, even with the enhanced senses she was gifted due to being an Elf.
"Jealous?! Me? How ludicrous! Those prissy and weak human princesses have nothing on a proud Dark Elf like me!" Luca shouted in denial, making her master chuckle a bit.
"I never said anything about the princesses. Luca? Come here." Her master instructed making a 'come hither' motion with a lone finger. She obeyed him without question and approached, and as soon as she was within arms reach, the Uzumaki lifted her into his lap, one hand supporting her by holding her back and the other cupping her chin.
"Now don't you fret Luca. No one, nothing could ever replace you. You have no reason to be jealous." He spoke to her in a comforting tone, planting a quick peck on her lips which made the young elf smile warmly but it soon fell as she muttered "I still don't like it. Those girls… they aren't worthy of you."
"Because they are human? Or because you think that if I have other girls and lovers that you won't have my attention and that you'll be forgotten about in the background?" Her master questioned in a slightly more stern tone, causing his loyal retainer to look away in shame, which only confirmed his suspicions.
"I promise you Luca, you won't be forgotten about even if I were to take multiple wives and/or lovers. There will be no special treatment and no playing favorites. Now, please try not to worry or fret. You are and will always be my retainer, and if I desire it… more than that." He whispered the last part, planting a longer and deeper kiss to her soft lips, making the young Half-elf moan into the kiss. A sense of bliss coming over her, wishing that this moment could last forever. Being embraced and kissed by the person who matters most to her. The only thing that could make this moment better was if he were to demand that she bear his babies and force her down on the desk and take her right there.
He then broke off the kiss and he traced a lone finger on her cheek, making her shudder in delight. "As you wish, Naruto-sama. Whatever you desire, I am yours. Your happiness means more to me than anything else in the world."
He slowly nodded and then gestured towards a map in front of them on the desk "Did you prepare everything like I ask?" At his question, Luca almost immediately leapt off his lap and ripped open a nearby drawer, and started pulling out small figurines from it, all the while muttering herself and calling herself things like 'stupid' and 'useless'.
She then arranged the figurines at various landmarks on the map, each one bearing the likeness of either the Princess Knights, common soldiers, and of course there ones that resembled her master and the Queen Olga herself. Once she was finished, Naruto nodded in satisfaction and began surveying the map while pulling out some documents that he had procured from Beardsley's former office "If there is one thing I have to say about that old Pedo-creep Beardsley, he had a good filing system for important documents." The whiskered teen spoke in a half-joking and half-serious tone.
"Our army is strong, but I am the sole commanding officer that leads it. I still have yet to find potential commanders and leaders to help lighten the workload. We also don't have a viable spy network as of yet, so the gathering of information is limited at best. Most of the information I gathered during my excursions may be outdated, fortunately old Beardsley's papers can help rectify that… for now." Naruto muttered as he stared at the figurine of himself and Olga at the First Fortress.
"If it is your wish Naruto-sama, I will proudly lead your troops into battle and kill many enemies in your name!" Luca declared, which made her master chuckle and appreciatively pat the top of her head.
"Thanks for the offer Luca, but you're still in training. I couldn't bear the thought of sending you into open battle unprepared, much less losing you. Regrettably, my options for Officers are virtually nonexistent. Mindless drones and demonic beasts don't make for good leaders. My mother has no access to her magic so she would be vulnerable, and Chloe wishes to remain by her side to protect her from harm. So that leaves me to lead the army by myself." He spoke thoughtfully before he pointed towards the map, more specifically at the Black Citadel, their home.
"I left a garrison of troops here to protect our home in case we need to fall back. Doubtful that'd happen, but best not to leave things to chance or get careless." He then pointed up towards the Second Fortress, their next target, and continued "According to the former Prime Minister's papers, there's a paltry force of some 150 men protecting the Second Fortress, most of them being volunteers or militia."
"Ha! Stupid humans! The most defensible fortress having almost no soldiers to defend it?! That's so pathetic it makes me want to laugh in their faces! Human arrogance truly knows no boundaries!" Luca loudly exclaimed while laughing in amusement, her master sharing in this as he chuckled as well.
"I guess they didn't figure that the Legion would so easily make it past the First Fortress. You're right though, it is pathetic. Still, Princess Prim must have hired mercenaries to bolster the number of troops defending her Fortress. Until we know who and what we're dealing with, it'd be best not to become overconfident ourselves. I refuse to underestimate my foes under any circumstances." The whiskered teen muttered as he turned his attention to the next landmark on the map, the Third Fortress.
"The Third Fortress is governed by the Priestess Kaguya, she's from the East like me, though not from the Shinobi Nations. According to the correspondence, there are approximately 1,500 Church Soldiers guarding it, along with 300 of Kaguya's private army of acolytes who are said to be well-versed in martial arts and magic." Naruto mused to himself as he picked up the figurine of the Priestess herself.
"So she is not directly related to the Church?" Luca questioned, finding it a bit odd that a foreigner would align herself with the Church and join the Alliance.
"No. Story goes that Celestine herself approached her and invited her to join the Alliance to fend off Legion incursions. Enemy of my enemy and all that." He replied before shifting his focus onto the next Fortress.
"The Fourth Fortress is manned by a Mercenary named Maya who was nominated as a Princess Knight by Celestine herself. She has about 1,000 of her own mercenaries under her command, plus another 1,500 Church soldiers. Her mercs are strong but undisciplined, so she'll likely be the wildcard here. After I killed Vult and turned him into a Drone, I scanned his memories. Seems that she had some measure of history with him." He mused, his words earning a look of disgust from his retainer.
"Please don't tell me she was in relations with him. I don't see how anyone could fall for a thug and misogynist like that Vult guy." Luca grumbled, but her disgust quickly changed to some sadistic amusement since Vult's animated corpse was now being used to pick up animal excrements.
"No. He saved her life when she first started out. I guess she fell under what is known as the 'Halo effect'." Her master responded thoughtfully, making his retainer raise an eyebrow as she parroted in confusion "The Halo effect?"
"It is a form of thinking, a mental bias, where our perception of a person is positively influenced. For example, in Maya's case, after she was rescued by Vult she somehow got it in her head that he was a good person, when we both know that is not the case. As a matter of fact, I have seen the Halo effect before…" He explained and then fell silent as he left the sentence hanging.
"Before Queen Olga adopted you?" His retainer asked, earning a slow nod from her master who now had a bitter look on his face. He then shrugged his shoulders, seemingly shaking off his soured mood and then turned his attention to the next Fortress, the fifth one.
"The Fifth Fortress is controlled by Ruu-Ruu, the Halfling. She has about 4,000 battle ready Halfling soldiers under her banner and another 2,000 Church soldiers. This Fortress is built into the side of a mountain, so it'll have strong defensive capabilities as well. On the plus side, Ruu-Ruu is often known to act recklessly and is short-tempered; we can use that to our advantage." He mused aloud and then focused his attention to the final two Fortresses which were practically a stone's throw away from each other.
"The Sixth and Seventh Fortresses are controlled by both Claudia and Celestine respectively, though Claudia maintains control of all military matters. The Levantine family has about 2,000 of their own soldiers under their command with Claudia herself and her father-in-law Graves at the head. They'll go to the Seventh Fortress and garrison there alongside 7,000 Church soldiers. They'll likely dig in, bolster their defenses. Make us fight for every square inch of the White Citadel. We take and control all of the Fortresses, this war will be over." Naruto finished as he leaned back in his seat with a slightly weary sigh.
"If we launch an assault on the Second Fortress, then they could launch an attack to flank our army." Luca mused as she pointed at their current target.
"They could, but it'd be a long march and it'd take time for their armies to group together. Nah, I'm banking that they'll abandon the mercs of the Second Fortress as sacrificial pawns. Probably send false promises of reinforcements and leave them to die to give themselves time." Naruto responded dryly, obviously disapproving of the callous sacrifice of other people's lives.
"I doubt the Princesses would approve of that." The black haired girl muttered, to which her master solemnly replied "Indeed, but who says that they're the ones in charge?"
Naruto slowly shook his head and then spoke "Nah. Those in power hate it when the status quo is changed or disrupted, it makes them feel threatened. The leaders of the Church, whomever they are, will do anything to maintain their power, even if it means sacrificing the Fortresses and whoever lives there. Which is why we're going to extend a chance for our foes to surrender at every given opportunity. We are not soulless monsters, in spite of whatever the Church may have to say about us."
In response, Luca let out a loud 'hmph' and stated "Irrelevant! I do not care what the dirty humans have to say about us! They can all die for all I care! But if it is your will, I shall obey and agree with your policies. Still… we do have one advantage… the dumb little humans don't yet know the true size of the Legion Horde." She spoke the last part with some sadistic glee she then added as an afterthought "Wait, what's stopping the Church from seeking outside help from Foreign nations?"
"Aside from plain old stubborn pride? The Church of the goddess isn't very popular outside of Eos. Apparently many non-human dignitaries and visitors have a tendency of 'disappearing' when visiting Eos, most especially when they come to the White Citadel. Naturally bandits and brigands are blamed for the disappearances, which is a convenient but plausible reason." He answered with a small sigh, making his retainer purse her lips.
"Since there's no evidence, the Church can easily evade any accusations, but non-human foreigners must still be wary of them and are generally distrustful of them." Luca mused aloud while running a hand through her raven colored locks.
Her master nodded and then commanded her "Indeed. Celestine tries to help mediate and keep the peace, but she is just one woman in a corrupt world that will eventually swallow her up too. Now then, draw me a warm bath Luca and fetch my soaps. I want to be clean and presentable for the ball tonight." At his command, stars filled the young Half-elf's eyes since bathing her master was one of her favorite activities and duties since she got to touch and caress her master all over his well-toned and powerful body.
"Right away Naruto-sama!" The young elf shouted and then vanished in a blur of motion, very eager to assist her master with his bath. This day just kept on getting better and better for her… mmm, that reminded her… perhaps she should ask her master for a dance at the ball? Oh, she couldn't wait to be flaunted and showed off like a prized trophy in front of all those disgusting humans who would look on in jealousy of her master and realize just how truly inferior they were in comparison. The day wasn't over yet, and there was still time for it to continue to get even better.
End Chapter Three.