"Do you believe in divination?"
"My apologies, your highness. Your knight does not believe in oracles and the like."
"Really? What a shame. Such things give great invigoration to one's life."
A cacophony of noises filled the surroundings, made of many cries consisting of different languages, commands, and curses—a fair bit of which aimed to the maiden in front of me.
It was a pointless conversation, held between two people at the wrong time.
'Shouldn't we be talking about the battle?' I thought but quickly shook my head. 'If we were actually talking about something substantial than I'd get killed even quicker.'
I could barely hear my liege, much less figure out what the hell she wanted to me to say about a random topic. I could feel the cold sweat on my back. I need to focus on not speaking the wrong answer, lest the royals were to get my head. Or worse, send me out of the tent.
To an observer, this would be a classic scene.
On one side stood a radiantly beautiful woman — the newly risen favored concubine sent to the hell that was the battlefield.
On the other side, sat a young knight. Wrapped in light leather armor and sporting a look more fitting of a tired mercenary, an apparent victim of overwork. Peculiarly, he was facing the opposite direction of the lady with his head faced towards the ground.
'Let's just flatter her.'
"I believe you, my highness. This lowly one can directly hear the result of grand visions right outside."
"Oh? Did you not just tell me you did not believe in such things?"
"You misunderstood me. While this lowly one does not believe in superstition, he believes in you, my highness."
'Nailed it!'
A faint chuckle sounded from the woman. "Haha, this lady guesses that is true. But this lady must ask, what are your thoughts about the latest divination from Delphi then? Even if you don't believe in superstition, this lady trusts you at least have an opinion about this topic."
[You sense danger intermingled with Consort Stella von Ghail's response.]
A quiet robotic voice resounded throughout my head.
'Sh*t, wrong answer! This is substantial topic territory!'
A few silent seconds passed by as thoughts rapidly churned through my mind. Deflection it was!
"Your humble knight's opinion of this matter is worth less than a mug of Lilean mead. Worthless, crass, and superficial. It would be best to ask one of the advisers outside for their opinion." There, self-deprecation is the quickest way to drop a topic!
"Oh, but this lady wishes to hear the innermost thoughts of my most loyal subject! Be it worthless or crass; a lord must know the workings of their subjects. Besides, this lady is sure that her retainers outside wouldn't be able to give a better answer than you."
She giggled this time, expertly countering me.
Shortly after.
[Fate has aligned! Make your choice wisely. Your decision will affect the direction of the battle.]
[1. Convince Consort Stella von Ghail to contribute more to the war.]
[2. Dissuade Consort Stella von Ghail from continuing the war.]
As per usual, whenever a vital decision approached, a choice box would rise. A transparent box visible to only my eyes. Of course, I tried to select choice 2.
'At least this one is a no brainer… No more war means I can go back to the capital!"
I sighed inwardly. 'But what to say? Hmm… religion is pretty big here…'
"Then, please excuse this humble knight. This lowly servant believes the latest divination from Delphi is nothing more than a load of hogwash. 'Three stars will rise with the east sun, and the Darken's might will be shown'? Both the royal astrologers and high theologians have told this one that such an occurrence is impossible! The workings of heaven will never, in a million years, work in tandem with that of the demons. In my humble opinion, the entire vision is just an excuse to start another war with the demon race! A battle for extinction!" I muttered nonchalantly.
If you were listening from an outside perspective, the way the knight spoke to the consort was like two friends having a regular conversation about the weather.
In spite of this, a glance outside of the tent would show how out of place that feeling was. From here, you could see poor souls against poor souls, witness wretched devils screaming their curses and war chants and hear the horrifying cries of dying soldiers. A man with the courage to keep calm in such an atmosphere was to be admired
Of course, I was about to piss my pants.
'Is it over yet?'
But, betraying my high expectations, the choice box stayed within my vision. Not specific enough for the damn system.
So, like a lost traveler traveling down a dark mountain path while relying on the hearsay of a passerby, I was just barely able to get the courage to open up and continue: "While officially wiping out demonkind would crown humankind as the sole rulers of the continent, such a thing is unnecessary. If anything, it is a travesty. A waste of thousands, and if not stopped, then millions of lives to sate the pride of humans! This war, with no guarantee of success, will leave the victor destitute and its people starving. This is a budding tragedy that must be nipped soon! Even the Lord will refuse to forgive the sins associated with a genocide such as this."
Like magic, a bell rung out as the choice box soon dissipated into white particles and reformed into new messages.
[A surprising decision!]
[Reputation amongst the population has increased substantially.]
[Nobles who know of your words today will be more likely to feel wrath towards you.]
[The Immortal King will kill you if he gains knowledge of this event.]
[Wrath has decreased by 20.]
[Pride has decreased by 10.]
[Envy has decreased by 10.]
[Greed has increased by 30.]
[Consort Stella von Ghail's interest in your response has raised her affection to 60.]
[P.S. You f*cked up.]
Then the words dispersed like rose petals.
'I…f*cked up? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'
But before I could analyze any deeper into the system's message, a loud cackling erupted from behind me. It lasted for a good moment or two, and I was sure the consort's retainers were able to hear from outside.
[You sense danger intermingled in Consort Stella von Ghail's response.]
It was harsh, cruel laughter.
"My dearest, most loyal knight! Oh, how you make my heart beat so… It is my personal belief that any knight under me must have great ambition, yet yours makes me shiver!"
[You sense great danger intermingled in Consort Stella von Ghail's response.]
'Yeah no sh*t, she's a f*cking maniac.'
I could feel the insanity from the gorgeous woman—or rather the monster—behind me. If shivering and pissing my pants wouldn't get myself killed, then I'm pretty sure that her highness is going to kill me instead. I kept my mouth shut tight, waiting for the final verdict.
The woman continued, oblivious to my terror.
"Your opinion is correct. The divination from Delphi is just an excuse to exterminate the demonkind. This lady also agrees that it is a waste of countless lives. However, can one defy the decree of the Immortal King? It is a question not worth asking in the bounds of the empire. Yet that day when you and I disobeyed his majesty…"
Her speech slipped unknowingly while shivering once again, lost in a reverie filled with the past. "My subject, how do you dare wish for that once more? But here we are, and you ask me once again." Taking one step forward, she grasped both of my shoulders and slowly turned me around with force.
'She's crazy. This b*tch is totally, irredeemably crazy.'
Despite knowing the rules of the palace, or rather, the special law that the Immortal King had placed on all males that one day, I was forced to look that crazy b*tch in the face. Or at least, her eyes.
Consort Stella von Ghail, the most beautiful out of the 3000 concubines of the Immortal King. The only one to have broken the imperial rules and lived to tell the tale. A poor orphan turned the most favored wife of the godlike tyrant. Her story is recognized throughout the entirety of the empire.
The king's past shout and cruel smile resounded throughout my mind, "From this day onward, no males shall look directly at Consort Stella von Ghail without my permission. If they are to do so, then only death shall await them."
A sense of dread and resignation filled my entire body as I was forced to view her. 'The retainers can see what's going on in here!'
In her familiar blue eyes, I saw a raging inferno. An ambition like no other.
[You have convinced Consort Stella von Ghail to contribute to the war.]
A bloodred text reappeared in front of me.
"Victor, you will become the symbol of peace on the continent. A human champion, advocating for the end of the war. Start on this battlefield and become the greatest warrior!" Her hurried breath felt like a fire, accompanying my red face. A slight whisper traveled to my ear, "Surpass the Immortal King, and I'll be yours…"
A shiver crawled up my spine, as my face stiffened from the message. At this moment I knew…
'I-I f*cked up!'