"Four of our knights were killed and eight were injured. What a terrifying opponent," the high priestess reported.
We were now outside on the field talking to Michaela, who was overseeing the clean up from the assault. After the two assassins killed themselves, and the other one ran away, she immediately ordered her subordinates to search for the latter, while she and a couple other priests and priestesses went around healing the wounded. Despite their best efforts however, four of them had fallen in combat, as they had died before they could treat their wounds.
There's no such thing as a Revive spell in this world, I suppose…
Nicole went to each of them, giving them a prayer for their souls to enter Valhalla. Yep, like you may have guessed judging by the name, it's the paradise intended for brave warriors who devoted their lives in the path of righteousness.
I felt bad for them as well, as they technically had died to protect us from the assassins. But, after what Nicole said to me back then, I wouldn't blame myself for it. People die in this world. It's an inescapable fact. There's no use in believing that you can save every single person you meet from it.
One of Michaela's knights then came over to report, and apparently, the other assassin had escaped. The high priestess sighed, shaking her head.
"Fortunately, the Grand Priestess should return tomorrow, and with her present, that man, if he had any common sense, shouldn't attempt this again. Lady Lunarya, unlike myself, is a very competent combatant. If she were present tonight, that vile man shouldn't have escaped."
We were then given a different room entirely to sleep for the night. To be exact, we were lent the room of the high priestess, as together with the room of her superior, it was located in the most secure building of the premises, just in case if that cat assassin was to strike again. Michaela doubted that though, saying, "Those murderers are a cowardly bunch. They would only strike when they have an advantage."
Thankfully, she was kind enough to place an extra bed in the room, so I would be able to sleep properly and not on the floor.
...Yeah, there's no way Fiora would allow me to sleep together with her.
Michaela personally took us to said room after we had our dinner (it's too risky to go to the baths at this time) and told us to consider it our own. Guess a holy person like her had nothing to hide. I would never let strangers into my room myself.
When we entered, we were greeted by a cozy and somewhat large room. A tiny study was there, with a number of bookshelves filled with religious texts that I had no interest in reading whatsoever. The bed was large enough for multiple people, so there would be no issue for Fiora, Nicole, and Helen to fit comfortably on it. The extra bed was smaller, only designed for one person.
Hmm? What's that?
I saw what looked like a pink fabric peeking out from under the bed. I bent over to pick it up.
This is… panties?!
Quickly, I hid it inside my shorts pocket, just in time before Fiora and the others entered the room. They had remained outside for a bit, conversing with Michaela.
"What?"
"N-nothing!"
Her sharp eyes only grew even sharper. But she quickly dropped the matter, to my relief.
Don't tell me… these are Michaela's panties?!
A thought occurred to me that I should go out there and hand it over to her before she got too far. But on the other hand…
Hehe, panties…
Yep, I can't stop myself.
"Hey, Fiora." I called out to her. "I'm leaving for a bit. Gotta go to the privy."
With that excuse, I could get the privacy I needed to check out this holy fabric I just received from the heavens.
I exited the room. To my surprise, Michaela was still there, along with a squad of knights.
"Is something the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing! Just… need to go to the privy, that's all!" I gave a nervous grin.
"Then let me and my knights accompany you. For tonight, I shall be part of your security."
She then told the majority of her subordinates to stay, only taking two other knights with her.
I can't say no, can I?
--------------
The walk there was awkward, to say the least. I kept stealing glances at her and my right hand rubbed my pocket where her panties were stored. It didn't help that the knights she took were females as well.
My eyes wandered down to her graceful hips, imagining a pair of tightly fitting pink panties hugging them. Damn it, why do they fit so well?
Thanks to that dirty thought and others (she had quite the nice body after all), a tent formed on my robe, making me have to put my hands in the front to hide it as I tried to calm myself down.
"Do not worry. The privy isn't far from here."
Ah, she probably thinks I need to go pretty badly. Well, this is embarrassing. But it's less embarrassing than being found out that you got a boner, I suppose.
We soon arrived there—a humble wooden shack in the inner garden. The three stood outside while I did my business—that is, checking out Miss High Priestess's underwear. Thankfully, the place was clean with no stinky smell that would ruin the atmosphere.
...Oh wow, these are cuter than I had expected. They had these frills to them and a ribbon on the front and—hold on, that's...
My thought was cut short as I noticed something quite scandalous—how the crotch part was darkened and dampened.
...No freaking way…
Yep. I wasn't mistaken. Just one slight sniff, and I could immediately know the high priestess had come while wearing this pair. The scent of her juices were unmistakable. Don't tell me that she had been masturbating before the attack happened? She must be in a rush to leave so she just left them there, and then she forgot about them entirely! Ooh, what luck!
Immediately, my robes tented again. Oh my, to think that a lady of her stature could be so naughty… My mouth formed a naughty grin.
For a split second, I was reminded of those porn books I used to read back home. Blackmail was inside quite a number of them, and I could imagine blackmailing her using these soiled panties of her. But I quickly dismissed the thought. I am not a bastard like those guys (as a matter of fact, I dislike that genre), and, as a fellow stealth pervert, I have to support her you know.
I also thought of keeping them in my possession. I do enjoy the delightful mature woman scent that they gave off. I can just imagine her pleasuring herself in her room, away from the watchful, prying eyes of her subordinates who believed her to be the perfect high priestess. But, I decided against it. I had sworn to be a better man, and that also meant to stop being a pervert, at least on the level that I was in my old life. At the very least I need to turn it down a notch. I want to be a gentleman after all, and no gentleman would steal other women's panties without their permission. If I go through with this, I would disappoint Marina, Sherry, and Nicole; all in one fell swoop. Fiora? Ha, she'll probably just grin and say, "You really are a pervert, aren't you?"
If the woman gave her panties voluntarily though, that's another matter entirely.
I sighed as I suddenly remembered the two pairs of panties I got inside the box back home. I just hope they will remain hidden forever. Erika would hate me even more if she knew I was hoarding girls' panties like that. I just know it.
And so, after giving the pink panties another hearty sniff, I left it behind in the privy, balled up in the corner of the small shack. I went outside after my boner went down, telling Michaela that I was finished doing my business.
Little did I know that I would end up creating a scandal in the near future, as a disciplinary investigation would be launched on the owner of said panties. Michaela would have to shamefully order her subordinates to find said person, knowing very well that it was her. She didn't know how her dirty panties had ended up in said privy, only that it did, and it took all her acting skills to pretend she didn't recognize them.
Didn't stop her little naughty habit though.
Back at our new room, I managed to get a decent sleep, though after what I just went through, it was a miracle I didn't become too nervous to sleep. Like Helen, who said that she was going to stay up all night to protect her princess.
Dammit. No looking at Fiora's sleeping face then.
--------------
???
Under the dim moonlight, a certain beastman was jumping rapidly on the rooftops of the city, heading straight towards the outside of the walls. He was, of course, the assassin that had escaped. With his speed, there was no chance for the knights to catch up to him.
And now, he was grinning like a madman.
Ha… ahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!
That was fun! Really fun, little princess! To think that a royal brat could be that strong!
And that kid—he's strong as well! Amazing! This is exactly what I want! At last, a worthy hunt—good enough for the whole crew to partake in!
Now, I have to do the bothersome work to gather them all. Would take months to do so, under my estimate.
O Great Saint! Please, hear my plea! Protect them until the day comes that we could hunt them all!
With a jump, and another on mid-air, he leaped right above the stone wall. The guard stationed on the rampart didn't even notice, as he was dozing off at his work.
--------------
Hugo
Oh no...
When I woke up in the morning, to my horror, my briefs felt clammy and damp.
I just had a wet dream.
And yes, it was about the high priestess. I saw her grinding her womanhood on the corner of the pulpit she used for her sermons, making all sorts of lewd expressions in the process.
I really am hitting that puberty process all over again, aren't I?
I gave a glance towards the other bed. Good. None of them had woken up. Even Helen had surrendered to her drowsiness, as she slept sitting on the foot of Fiora's bed. A naughty thought came up to me as I glanced at the maid's hefty chest, but I shook my head. This is no time to fool around, Hugo!
I gave a glance towards Fiora and Nicole. Well, that's cute. Fiora is snuggling up to Nicole and she's hugging her back. They really are good friends, huh? Or don't tell me that this is a hidden yuri development?
I put those thoughts away as well. I need to change my clothes ASAP.
I took out my spare clothes and underwear from my bag. Giving another glance towards the three of them, making sure that they were still asleep, I began to undress myself. I did it quickly, thanks to my clothes being easy to put on, being a simple shirt and shorts combo.
When I finished, I threw my dirty clothes in the laundry basket, before turning around.
Only to find Fiora sitting on the bed, smiling as she stared straight towards my direction.
What the— Since when she's—
"Oh, don't look so surprised. I didn't see anything. Well, anything worthwhile at the very least."
W-was that… was that her insulting my size?
Shaken, I immediately tried to perform a retort. Putting up the smuggest grin I could muster, I replied, "You really are a pervert, aren't you, Your Highness? Peeking on a boy while he's changing? Tsk tsk tsk. That's not very ladylike of you, is it?" I put my hands on my waist.
"Oh, really? You're an even bigger pervert then, exposing yourself like this while in a room with three girls?"
"Hey, it's not my fault you suddenly decide to wake up." I shrugged. "And the fact that instead of telling me to stop and cover myself, you instead just watch in silence—that proves you're a pervert who enjoys looking at naked young boys like me." I grinned again. "You really should just admit it, you know. I'm not mad. I'm not a prude after all."
"Of course you're not. You're too lecherous for that."
Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by Nicole, who groaned as she sat up as well, rubbing her right eye.
"Oh, you two are already awake?" She smiled. "Good morning."
Fiora and I exchanged looks. Who would make the first move to tell her what just happened? Would it be me saying that Fiora was peeking at me while changing? Or would it be her saying that I was a perverted flasher who intentionally changed in a room with three girls?
In the end, neither of us made a move. Fiora gave a signal with her eyes, saying that "if you don't tell, then I won't tell either." And I agreed.
Heh, for now at least. I'll tell Nicole once we're alone without you butting in.
I'm glad she didn't notice that I had a wet dream though. She could get the upper hand from that.
---------------
"Her Holiness Lady Lunarya has returned!"
Those words were yelled all over the temple complex the next morning, right after we had our breakfast. Finally! Took her long enough!
We rushed outside, seeing others doing the same to the point that a crowd was formed on the temple courtyard.
And then, we finally got a good look on her.
And she was nothing like I imagined her to be.
Oh wow, she's a beastkin?
Sure enough, with those pair of white wolf ears adoring her silver hair, and a similar-colored white tail coming out from behind her, she was a beastkin for sure. Her hair reached down over her waist, complimenting her visible muscles to give that wild beast look. Her eyes were crimson, with one covered by a black eyepatch. Hmm? An eyepatch? Couldn't she heal her eye with her magic? Her clothes gave an inkling that she was a priestess, but the way she was built gave more of an impression that she was a warrior. She didn't wear any footwear, though her feet were certainly not hairy like a hobbit's. She carried with her a massive staff on one hand. It was made out of steel and pointed at the end, making me believe that she could very well kill a large monster just by swinging that thing around. The other end of the staff was shaped like a key, oddly enough. I guess it's used if she preferred a blunt attack instead of a piercing one?
Really, there was nothing there that was remotely similar to how Michaela or Nicole looked.
I gulped. This person… since she's also a Grandmaster-level mage, albeit in Holy magic, she should be as strong as Vera, right?
She arrived on top of her steed, and she gracefully leaped down from it, before letting one of the priests take it to the stables. Michaela immediately came up to her and gave a bow.
"Hey, why the long face?" The grand priestess spoke with a grin. "I told you to smile more, didn't I?"
Michaela responded with a whisper, making the grand priestess glance towards our direction. She then walked over to us, her grin vanishing, replaced by a serious look. "Greetings. I am Lunarya Silvermoon, the Grand Priestess of Sigil. You came here to talk with me, correct? Then, let's do that right away."
With those short words, she ended the conversation, gesturing to us with her hand without even bothering to look back to follow her.
Now this one doesn't seem to care about mannerisms, unlike her subordinate.
Ha, Fiora might have a chance after all.
----------------
Wag wag
Left… right… left… right… left and right again.
Man, they really aren't exaggerating when they say watching a beastgirl's tail can be hypnotic.
Such was the thought in my mind as we walked behind her. Her white wolf tail was moving back and forth as she walked, only adding to the sensuality of her moving hips and butt, as their shape was quite visible on her black robe.
And no sign of pantyline either, which means she might actually be going commando under that. Aah, how nice…
I had to hold myself back from feeling up that tail, since I was pretty sure she could kill me using that giant staff of hers with a single swing. She had that proud look to her, which meant she would most likely not take kindly to sexual harassment, even if the one doing it was a young boy like me.
Also, I just realized that none of the knights or the high priestess were following us. I guess they are really that confident of her strength? Or maybe she had told them expressly that she wouldn't want to be followed.
She led us to what looked like a private meeting room, filled only with a large round table and a couple of chairs for us to sit on. She took the chair in the 12 o'clock direction, with me and Nicole sitting on one side while Fiora and Helen sat on the other side.
She rested her chin on her hands that were placed on the table. "So," She turned her gaze towards Fiora. "Let's begin with you, Fiora Guinevere Pendragon, second princess of the Holy Empire. You ask for my support in you taking the throne, correct? Then," She suddenly smirked. "Why don't you regale my ears with the kind of country you would shape this land into if you were to become empress?"
Looking at Fiora's reaction, I was surprised. The way she talked to her didn't show any sign of respect whatsoever. She called her by her full name and challenged her to make her case. And yet, Fiora didn't look upset in the slightest. I guess she really does only demand respect for those she deems to be lower than her in the social stature. And I reckon a Grand Priestess is taken as equals to her? I really don't get how this kind of thing works.