"You three rush back, I'll try to hold her here." That was till Maia stepped to the front noticing the tension displayed by the three.
"W-What? No way?" Alicia was the first to reject this, there was no way she would leave a fellow Princess Knight alone.
"Run? Do you think that we will lose?" Lulu was not happy with that assumption, but there was no time to explain things properly.
"It isn't that we can't defeat her, but a fortress is at stake. The lives of countless citizens are at stake here. We cannot let our pride get in the way of our duty." Maia made the three understand that retreating was the best option for the Empire, but even if they planned on that. There is no way Olga would just let them go.
"It appears that at least some humans have subpar intelligence." Olga smiled noticing anger take over the faces of Alicia and Lulu.
"Don't let her provocations get to you. Go back and defend the Fortress, I'll be there soon." Maia discouraged them from wasting any more time here, even then the two appeared reluctant to leave her alone.
"Maia… I will come back as soon as the fortress is out of danger." It was then that Claudia looked at her fellow Knight.
If she doubted Maia's capabilities any longer it would be disrespectful, they were the seven shields—people specifically selected to defend the Empire—so they needed to trust each other, otherwise, there would be no way to save their homeland.
"Yeah, take your time." Maia got ready to attack Olga. Eyes full of amusement like some sort of emotional play were being acted out in front of her.
"We'll come back, just hang in there." Alicia gritted her teeth; there was no other way as even Claudia agreed. Lulu was unhappy but there was nothing that could be done. They had to go, so they rushed towards the fortress leaving Maia with Olga.
"That wasn't a wise move." She said.
"I can say the same for you. After all, you have come here all alone." Maia didn't understand what this Dark elf was playing at, why was she doing something dangerous like this?
'Could it be?' Looking at Vult who was standing behind Olga unceremoniously eying the woman's curves, there was only one reason she could think of for this sudden move.
"This is why I said that you humans have subpar intelligence. I am never alone." The Dark Queen laughed staring at the expression on Maia's face when the realization hit her, "So, are you going to resist, or come with me silently?"
"I am going to do what needs to be done." Maia brandished her twin swords with her eyebrows tightly knitted together.
'A fight between the two of them should give me enough time to run away, but what I don't understand is why would she help me?' Vult tried to understand the situation after he was done gawking at the Dark Queen. He wasn't sure of what was happening, but honestly, it didn't matter.
The reason for that was the fight. It didn't even last for a minute—No, it was over before it began. Maia didn't have a chance to move as Olga waved her staff, and she was knocked out cold.
'How powerful is she?' Vult gulped as he had no idea of what happened, Maia had given him hell even if he made the excuse of being weakened. In a fair one-on-one Maia would defeat him, but here she was out cold on the floor with a swing of a staff.
How powerful was the Dark Queen? No one knew as the ones who had faced her hadn't lived to tell the tale, but this was when she had her magical abilities.
"You must be wondering why I saved you correct?" Vult was jolted out of his thoughts by the woman of the hour, her yellow eyes had a mystical allure that seemed to draw him in.
"…Yes, but I think it should be about the rumors about me being on your side," Vult said confidently but Olga laughed.
"Humans really do come up with the most enjoyable stories. But you are correct about that assumption, after hearing about the rumors I decided to see what type of human they were linking up with me when I had no such servants in place." She folded her arms causing her ample bosom to be pushed up.
'I want to grope them…' And Vult could not focus on anything else, his eyes fixed on the soft globes of this beautiful woman. If he hadn't seen how powerful she was, he would've had his way with her with no remorse. But he couldn't do that obviously.
"And what I found out was rather surprising. I never thought that Celestine was capable of this level of games, I suppose the human nature is rubbing off her." Olga smirked as this situation was rather amusing.
"…What do you mean?" Vult did not miss that as his ears perked up, the information that Olga had could help him understand what happened to him.
"Do you remember the men in the unit that you were part of?" She asked and Vult nodded.
He remembered because he made many connections within that unit. Vult didn't expect to find that many like-minded people in one place, but all of his grand plans were burned down before they even had the chance to start.
"What about them?" He couldn't understand her point, and this was the biggest problem.
"Corrupt Nobles who support slavery in secrecy, Priests who took advantage of their position to get away with crimes, embezzling ministers who let people starve, and on top of that Grave Levantine, someone who wanted to start a coup along with the knights who followed him. Do you understand what they did now?" Olga saw the realization dawn on his face when she listed them all.
"Those... bitches..." He was set up. The Seven Shields got rid of the trash from the Empire and pinned it on him to wash their hands of the matter.
"I didn't even send out Monsters that day, it was all part of their plan. They tortured your mercenary team to get them to confess and pin the crime on you." Hearing all of this rage bubbled inside Vult.
Why did they have to target him? It is not like he did anything to them that required such an action. He was just trying to earn money from them. But now he was a wanted fugitive who would never be able to go into any country on the continent.
"So, hearing all of that I got interested in you. Why would they pin things on you? And it seems that you are a rather strong individual." But these words were an opportunity that could help him tremendously.
"Please take me into your army, I'll do everything I can. I'll give you all of the information I have collected, and will do whatever you want." He did not waste any time to get on his knees and plead.
Olga was his only ticket if he wanted to make it out of this shit situation, she was in conflict with the Seven Shields and she was strong enough to hold them at bay. If he could get under her wing he was sure to succeed, as for his plans and aspirations.
"Interesting, I suppose I can keep a monkey around. As they say, an enemy of an enemy is a friend." She said before turning back and walking away, the sway in her hips was enough to make Vult gulp. His plans could wait, as long as he lived he could find things out, and if things worked in his favor then it was all good.
"Do not gawk at My Lady you swine!" Then a rebuke got him out of the trance, he turned to see a blonde dark elf dressed as erotically as Olga. Even with a figure less developed than the Dark Queen she was beautiful. But carrying Maia on her shoulder her delicate face scrunched up like he was a pile of shit on the roadside.
"I am sorry, it is just that Our Lady is too beautiful for someone like me." Vult was trying to butter up this girl to not get on her bad side. She was here along with Olga, and there was no other monster in sight. It showed the trust she had in this girl and…
"Chloe, what's holding you up back there?"
"Nothing My Lady!" Chloe increased her pace to catch up with Olga, but not before leaving a snide remark, "You are lucky."
But he didn't let it get to him, because his time will come at the end and then he will have his revenge.
'I'll start with this arrogant bitch after I build my forces again.'
...
400 ps to go for the bonus.