**Kuro**
The arms production for the 'Elvish Expeditionary Forces' began in earnest once I paid the initial settlements. The Lady Srexe assured me that she would personally watch over the factories, so that the quality won't be compromised because of the urgency of my request. Well, knowing the goblin lady, that takes off my mind in that matter, and I can focus on the more pressing ones…
…like the training of the soldiers.
And, as someone who read lots of historical stuff, I was aware of the risks of 'shortened' training regimens, the impossibility of the logistics surrounding arms manufacturing on a short notice, and even the difficulty of organizing a ragtag band of elvish folk—used to the conveniences of a peaceful world like Chersea—into a competent fighting force. Then, there's also the matter of the information available to me, like the situation in Cherwoods. What were the sentiments of the elvish population there towards the one in-charge, or how severe was the Seductress' influence in that realm?
So far, the spies we sent were trapped in that place, with no way to send precious information on the ground, and some were even captured in the line of their duty.
I have no idea of what happened to them…
"…"
God…thinking of those people I lost stresses me more. I always imagine my hands filled with blood from those who sacrificed their lives for my cause…
But I have to steel myself for the worse. Letting my emotions affect me will only lead to more deaths, so I shouldn't waver now.
Anyway, I had no other option but to rely on the outdated information I gathered from Her Lazy Holiness, the Lady Hinwe, and her maid, the Lady Meanor. I even asked the elders of every elvish village in my realm for maps and any other helpful 'tidbits' of the elvish homeland, like their culture and society in Cherwoods, since nothing was available in the market.
However, the older living generation of elves here in Chersea were mostly the third from the first immigrants. Because of it, memories of their old customs and traditions were already forgotten, or diluted, with the culture of the humans influencing their own society. Asking the Lady Hinwe and her maid about these things was quite useless, since they lived secluded inside the tree palace for so long, they got another culture going there.
Kind of like the politics and society of Imperial China, where palace life is vastly different from the commoners.
Good thing the elder of the village of New Elebor, Lady Manahad, kept one for herself, so I bought it (it's the one I presented in our meeting at the library before). The only problem with her map was that, it was also an old one; the places showed there might or might not exist anymore because of the desertification of Cherwoods. As for the cultural stuff…I guess I'd just cross the bridge when we get there, huh?
Haa…this invasion plan is more complicated than I have envisioned before…
"Hoh, busy with the recruitment, I see?"
"Whoa!"
"Hey!" Just as I inadvertently threw my pen to the air, the elf maid, Meanor, quickly moved in to catch it. Then, she gave it back to me. "What's with you being so jumpy, milord?"
Are the ladies in this place always sneaking around my back nowadays?
The elf maid narrowed her eyes, "I feel you're thinking something bad about me."
"Nothing, haha…" I replied as I thanked her for catching my pen. "Any case, why did you sneak in my study?"
"I did not," she retorted. "I knocked before, see? Never would I dare to be rude to our benefactor, even more so in his own home. However, milord seems so busy, you didn't even notice me get behind you."
"Is that so?"
Meanor nodded. Then, she continued, "Also, I came here earlier, and saw the Lady Seirna talking to you, so I left you alone. Anything wrong with her?"
I shook my head. "Nothing serious. Well, I guess just some few personal matters we both need to address."
"I see…" Then, Meanor fell silent. I could feel she wanted to tell me something, yet she's holding back.
"You…need something?"
The elf maid took a deep breath and slammed her hands on the table, much to my surprise. "Okay, milord," she stared at me, "tell me, how can I serve you?"
Naturally, her sudden question put me on an awkward footing. I mean, I didn't even know what she meant by that! "What?"
"Milord, please do not think of this as my mistress' initiative," Meanor explained. "It is my decision to ask you that question. I want to know, how can I repay you for your sacrifice to me!"
"Err…I don't—"
"Please don't say 'I don't know'. Look, I may not be a holy lady, but I can tell what happened to that right eye of yours. In exchange for my life, you gave up your sight; milady has told me you did it. As someone who tries to be faithful to her mistress, how can I not be satisfied by your own explanation to the deed? You may claim that it's alright, but to my mistress and I…it isn't!"
"It's really alright—"
"Don't say that!"
"Okay? So, what should I say then?"
"How can I serve you?"
"Serve your mistress, then you can consider it serving me," I reiterated. "And well, it's not like I really did 'lose' my sight. If I can describe what I see in this eye, the proper word is 'silhouette'."
"What?"
"Think of moving shadows or blobs, that's what I see. No details, only walking black masses," I pointed to my eye patch. "That's why I cover this eye, so it won't affect my vision on the left one."
"Err…it's still difficult, right?"
"One has to live and get used to such condition. So, I'm thankful for your offer of service, but I really would like to decline."
"I don't accept it."
"You should. I got more help than what I really need."
"Milord!" Meanor kneeled before me, even trying to kowtow, though I stopped her from doing so. "Please! Give me something I can repay you with! Anything! Even if it's my chastity—"
"Please, no!" I quickly refused. "If you keep insisting on that, I may have to ask you to leave."
"Then, I shall do—"
"Okay, I'll be the one to leave this palace!" I forgot that Meanor could get quite overly zealous with everything.
"A lord who threatens to leave his own palace for the sake of a mere servant? Pardon me for my words, but are you alright in the head, milord?"
"I'm crazy and I know it," I chuckled.
Meanor could only cast a stare on me. I guess she couldn't believe that someone like me would say those words—and meant it. See, I was not one to take advantage of my fellow just because she felt indebted to me; I'd rather die, than do it.
The elf maid sighed. Then, she kneeled before me once again, saying, "Milord…I…really don't know what to say to your magnanimity. I…I'm just overwhelmed by your sincerity, even when I don't trust you that much before…"
Wait, you really don't?
Nevertheless, Meanor wasn't done yet. "…I don't know if I can ask you about this another request of mine, if you permit your servant to be bold."
Oh…so this is how it is. This elf maid got something in mind to ask of me, that's why she's here alone, huh? Good lord, based from what I'm getting from her, it seems like Meanor's upcoming request is a pain in the ass. Well, as long as it was something that's within my means; it wouldn't hurt to have some 'powerful connections' in the future, just like how it was done in my old country.
"What is it?" I asked, overruling my objections to hear her petition. "As long as it's reasonable, I don't see why I would not grant it?"
"Milord, thank you for your kind words," the elf maid smiled with relief. "Please, this is my selfish request, and not from my mistress…"
"I understand." Of course, while I was aware that this request was from the elf maid and not the Lady Hinwe's, that lazy saint still had a hand in encouraging her servant to be bold in approaching me about this. Okay then, if I could do it, then it's all good. If it's beyond my means, I'd have to refuse it.
"Once again, I express my sincere gratitude for listening," Meanor bowed once more. "Your humble servant wishes to ask for milord's aid in saving the Lord Gerard of Yusave, if it's possible?"
----------
How to save a person 'corrupted' by the Seductress' influence? Honestly, I don't know. If I were to base the solutions on what I've read before, there were several ways to do it. One was to 'kill' the Seductress, so that her 'spell' would be broken, similar to the fairy tales from my old world. Second, the savior must do something to break the 'curse', like giving the victim a dose of 'love's true kiss'.
"…"
No, I won't do it. I do not lean that way.
Third, having a holy person call on the heavens to provide him the power and authority to drive out the evils inside the victim. However, I was not even sure if such prayers and invocations would work on an ancient monster hailing from the Void. I was not a priest, not even in my previous world. The prayers I knew were the ones taught to me when I was young, and there was never any mention of driving out demons in those verses.
'And even if you are, Kuro, it won't work, those ideas you have in your head,' Gaius told me from my mind. 'You're dealing with a creature that defeated gods and goddesses before, and consumed their worlds. She knows how to crush our powers.'
Right, and so what do you have in mind for granting the elf maid's request?
'Wait, why are you asking me that? You're the one who made the promise to the elf girl!'
I did that because I'm confident in your knowledge, Gaius. You fought the Seductress in the past, right? You also showed me how to defeat her using the god-powers of the Human Saint before. Of course, I trust you must know the way to save someone from the Seductress' influence.
'Aren't you trusting me a bit too much?'
Can't I? I mean, with all that we've been through together?
I heard Gaius sighed. 'What? You're really serious in doing it? You haven't learned your lesson sacrificing for others before?'
Well, why not? If we got something, then why not use it? And besides, it's not that I'll sacrifice myself again—
'Ahem. Your right eye.'
My hand quickly went to the part he mentioned. This and that are two different things.
'I'm aware. And yes, I support your decision to 'save' the elf maid by giving your normal sight to Time. After all, Lady Hinwe's mental well-being hinged on her servant and friend. However, this time, the elf maid's request to save her lover isn't part of your responsibility anymore.'
I already promised. I can't simply take that back.
'You're one bad politician, Kuro. Even though you're one of the leading nobles of the Empire, you try to deliver on your promises, even to a mere servant. Try learning from me, even just once; I had my political enemies at the palm of my hand—'
And they still killed you in the end, betrayed by your closest friend. Any case, thank you for the compliment, Gaius; I'm glad my principles still work. Got no plans to become a politician, anyway.
The former god sighed. Then he said, 'I just hope it won't come back biting to you at the end.'
Well, do you have any way in dealing with the Lord Gerard's predicament?
'It is quite easy, you know? You just have to cast the Human Saint's god-power on the Lord Gerard, and poof! Her influence over the poor elf is gone.'
That was…quick.
'You did hear me say 'it is quite easy', right?' Gaius replied, putting emphasis on his own quote.
What's the catch?
'The Lord Gerard dies.'
The fuck? How's that 'quite easy'?
'Well, if you don't care about the elf maiden's feelings, her request is easy to solve!'
The Lord Gerard dies; how's it saving him?
'At least he dies a 'free elf'.'
You don't understand. The Lady Meanor is the Lord Gerard's lover; of course, it's common sense that when she asks me to save him, she expects that I'll save him alive.
'What happened to that line, 'If it's impossible, I can't grant it'?'
I already promised.
'Then be a politician.'
Fuck you.
'Haa…' Gaius made his dismay known to me. 'Look, buddy, you know what happened to me. Because of my stupidity in running after the godhood of Chersea, I let that monster possess me. Did I get to live? Yes, but that's because my body isn't like the body of mortals. You're aware of that yourself, Kuro; that body you own isn't the weak one meant to die in one slash of a sword. And no, don't bring up the example of your waifu #1, the Lady Madelaine. There are two things you should remember about her; yes, she is mortal, but she's a creation of that villain…her 'child', though the Lady Madelaine fought hard to escape her grasp. And, number two, the Human Saint was granted the god-powers of healing, the one of the two god-powers that can hurt the Seductress. So, she gets to live.'
What about the paladins and servants who got influenced by the Seductress before?
'Direct possession differs from just controlling a person with her miasma,' the former god pointed out. 'You know that movie about that disgusting alien latching itself on human face? The victim has zero chance of survival, yes?'
The Al*en series?
'Yep.'
I feel the comparison is off but I get the idea, yes. Still, that doesn't explain the survival of the paladins and other servants of the Human Saint when they also fell under her influence.
'They weren't subjected to the Seductress' 100% power, so the damage is minimal. There's still damage in them though it is negligible enough, and probably got healed in time, since they are always near the Lady Madelaine. The Lord Gerard, however, is the host this time. Like a parasite having finished feasting on its prey, the moment the Seductress is removed from his body is the moment he dies. You know that show about some Soviet firemen battling radioactive fire from one of their exploded nuclear reactors?'
Yeah, I know that show. I love it, too. You know it's based from actual events?
'It does?'
Yep. Check out the 'Chernobyl Disaster' in Earth's history.
'Okay, I will later. Anyway, going back to our topic, some of those firemen got fully exposed and died almost instantly. Others got to live for a while…you get the comparison?'
I told you I understand. I just can't help but feel you're just flexing the shows you've watched to me.
Gaius never replied after that, though I heard him laugh. Well, I guess the former god's getting a bit bored in his new place inside my mind nowadays, but he did give me an idea how to grant Meanor's request. I only had to figure out how to go around the 'death' part.
"…"
Well, I also felt responsible for the Lord Gerard's tragedy, so I couldn't refuse the elf maid's request. After all, I was the one who planned this whole affair, thinking I could help the Lady Hinwe mend her ways. I did somehow succeed. What I failed to consider was the Lord Gerard's sentiments toward his liege, so I couldn't just simply drop the Lady Meanor's request.
----------
***The city of Berondin***
Not all was bleak in the plight of the survivors of Dorian. While they were 'officially' captured by the army of the 'mud' elves, they were still treated better. The only problem was, though they were given proper shelter, the longhouse was small to fit everyone in, so some of them had to brave the elements outside. Those who did were given spare cloths and were taught to make tents.
They were heavily-guarded. The Berondin elves wouldn't easily trust anyone, given the bad history between them and the 'forest elves' of the interior. They would give the refugees extra food, if they could help it. Otherwise, the Dorians would have to spend long sleeps hungry, for they weren't permitted to hunt…which would entail letting them out of their enclosure.
"…"
Meanwhile, the leader of the Dorian elves, the Lord Ingwer, talked with the elders of Berondin.
"You mean to say that the one who sat on the throne of the Elf Saint is a human, yet this human is not 'human' at all?"
"That one is an impostor," the Lord Ingwer reiterated. "The Lord Kuro of Arles is a friend to everyone, including us elves; and he gave good counsel to Her Holiness, the Lady Hinwe. That 'Lord Kuro' in the Saint's Tree is another person, originally meant to 'safeguard' the saint's throne, but ended up usurping authority 'in her name'."
"It's confusing," one elder remarked, shaking his head. "And what type of magic this 'Lord Kuro' used to convince the saint to agree to his plan?"
"There is no magic, milord," the Dorian leader replied. "The Lord Kuro only highlighted the merits if everything would go according to his ideas. And I think you and I will agree that the palace officials of Her Holiness have grown corrupt and decadent after she has withdrawn from governing us."
"This is why we Berondin elves would prefer living in this accursed place than submit to her," another elder commented. "The Lady Hinwe Tal-Inwir may be wise in the old days, but she had lived long enough to be a villain."
The Lord Ingwer, though he was pained to hear such words said about Her Holiness, remained silent. He had to admit that their observations had slivers of truth in it, and that he also needed the help of the Berondin elves was another factor he had to mind while negotiating with them.
"There are several things that I find implausible in the Dorian lord's story," the leader of the army of Berondin noted.
"Speak your mind, Lady Elsa."
"The Lord Ingwer claims that there is someone disguising as a 'human' noble ordering the forest elves on the Elf Saint's throne. As far as I'm concerned, the forest elves are a proud people. They will never let humans—though we may have been allies in the Human-Demon Wars of old—to lead them. Their folly even drove us to these parts, at the fringes of Cherwoods, because we have different beliefs in the authority of the Elf Saint. If the Dorian lord's story is true, then why didn't the other elf cities rise up to fight that human? And also, why didn't the Elf Saint's Life Guards overthrow him?"
The members of the elder council of Berondin rallied over the Lady Elsa's statements, and accused the Lord Ingwer of fooling them. However, their most senior elder rose up and chanted a silencing spell that removed their voices, much to their surprise. When they realized they couldn't air their arguments, the elders sat down, dejected.
"My kin," the senior elder, the Lord Fenorian, gestured for them to keep still. "I recommend we listen first to the answers of the Dorian lord, before we throw accusations. These forest elves treated us with contempt; let us be better by understanding them." Then, he turned to the Lord Ingwer, and said, "You may explain your side, forest brother."
"Thank you for the opportunity, milord," the Dorian elder bowed, and paused for a moment before continuing. "To answer the Lady Elsa's questions and dispel any accusations the members of this honorable council have leveled against me, let me tell you that the impostor at the Saint's Tree is no ordinary human."
"You said it earlier, that this 'human' is not human at all."
"With all due respect Lord Fenorian, I think you misunderstood my meaning of 'not human'. As what I said to the Lady Elsa before, we came from the city of Dorian, which was destroyed following an attack from the Elf Saint's Life Guards. The soldiers, though in outward appearance looked like elves, are not the 'guards' we remember them to be. These people are emaciated, their eyes—while open—are blank…as if they stared at nowhere. Take note that they are killing our people, yet they have no expression at all. No fear. No anger…just blank, as if they're devoid of life."
By this time, the entire council never moved. Everyone leaned forward as the Dorian lord narrated.
"And here's what even more strange. Of course, we have our own army to resist them. But, no matter how we shoot at them, they'd keep advancing, as if the arrows are nothing. Then, it came to the part where we fought them in melee, but these Life Guards never mind our attacks. Cut off their limbs and they'd fight by biting or kicking you."
"Are you telling me they turned into undead?"
"I don't know milord, but what I can say for sure is that they are not scared. Not one bit. And they can't be reasoned out either, so we really have to fight with our lives. But that's not the worst part."
"Good heavens," the Lord Fenorian exclaimed. "If that's not the worst part, then what is?"
"That impostor came amid the chaos and carnage, and stood right in the center. I remember it clearly, when he began chanting some spell…and black smoke slowly came out from under him. That smoke then shot out from all directions, even as armies and the Life Guards battle it out. Those who were hit by the smoke suddenly got even more emaciated, as if life was sucked out of them. I can still hear the terrible screams of those who were trapped in that smoke; our trees, our families, and even the enemies. It was loud at first, then slowly died down with every moment passing…we don't know if it's because we ran as fast as we can, or it's the dying sound of the victims."
The Lord Ingwer paused and collected himself, since he was getting emotional recounting his and his people's experiences. When he settled down, he added, "I don't know what happened after we ran from Dorian, but I've heard news of other 'rebellious' cities getting destroyed by that impostor and his accursed army. This place can be next…"
The council hall was so quiet one could hear the pin drop. The members couldn't believe what they heard, or what to do about it. It was then that the Lord Fenorian broke the silence…
"Lord Ingwer of Dorian," he was restless in his chair. "Let's say we believe your story. Won't it mean that the human—or monster—that sat on the throne at the Saint's Tree is a formidable enemy, notwithstanding his army of…undead elves? What can we even do to resist him?"
"Well, here's the thing milord," the Dorian elder replied. "Not all is lost. As I've said earlier, that 'human' in the Saint's Tree is just an impostor. And the human whose disguise is being used by that monster is actually the powerful one that even Her Holiness the Elf Saint respects him."
"You don't mean to say…"
"Yes, Lord Fenorian, the Lord Kuro of Arles—the legendary hero of the human, beastmen and demon realms, is coming to Cherwoods. I'm sure he knows the situation now, and is moving to save us," the Lord Ingwer then presented a letter to the Berondin council, with the wax seal of the duchy of Maverny on its end.
"That's a human noble!" the Lady Elsa cried out. "You're entrusting yours and our people's lives to human hands?"
"Times are desperate, milady. Again, my apologies for the late introduction, lords and ladies of this venerable council, but I really led my people here in your city not only to seek help. I am the Lord Ingwer of the city of Dorian, and a representative of Her Holiness' adviser, the Lord Kuro of Arles, Duke of Maverny. I know it's strange that we only approached you now, our Berondin brothers and sisters. However, will you set aside our differences and work together, just even for this one moment. A monster will consume these lands, killing everyone—including us and your people. Will you help us, Berondin?"