The world of Klyrode is a world of swords and sorcery, of magic beasts
and demihumans. It is a world where humans and demons have been at war
since time immemorial.
The latest chapter in that war arrived when the new Dark One Yuigarde
ordered the entire Dark Army, the ruling power among demonkind, to
launch a full invasion against the greatest kingdom of humanity: the
Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. The Dark One's goal was nothing short of
world conquest.
Opposing him was the new commander of Klyrode's forces: the Maiden
Queen. She used traps, ambushes, misdirection, and any other trick she
could think of to fight back against the invasion. The Dark Army, which
had attacked recklessly and with very little in the way of strategy, was
thoroughly stymied by Klyrode's tactics and lost scores of soldiers to no
effect. In the end, the Dark Army was forced to retreat without ever coming
within sight of Klyrode Castle's walls.
After such a crushing defeat in which so many demons lost their lives,
the Dark Army began drafting demons from the lands under its control to
urgently rebuild its fighting strength. Klyrode too had suffered many
casualties in stopping the Dark Army's assault and devoted itself to
strengthening its defenses at key strategic locations while also seeking aid
from neighboring kingdoms. Once again the armies were at a standstill, any
action confined to frequent small skirmishes.
◇In a Forest◇
Flio and Rys rode a wagon down a small road that ran through the
middle of a forest. Pulling the wagon was Sybe the psychobear, currently
wearing armor that covered its entire body. It pulled the cart with
astonishing speed despite its lumbering size. Behind them followed a fleet
of wagons led by Greanyl.
"My lord husband," said Rys, "our destination is just a little further
north along this road." Rys sat next to where Flio was piloting the wagon,
checking the map she held open and giving directions.
"Thank you, Rys... That means we're about to reach the dangerous part
of this trip." Flio glanced around until he caught sight of something in a
corner of the forest.
"I believe you are correct..." Rys stood up, her body transforming into
the great wolf form she could assume as a lupine demon.
"Klyrode Castle's own caravan wasn't able to make the delivery through
here. It sounds like the ambushers are quite good at hiding their
presence...and quite fast." As he spoke, Flio pulled a blue wolf mask over
his head.
◇ ◇ ◇
In the middle of the forest lay a point identified by the armies of
Klyrode as one of their key tactical locations: a great fortress of stone built
into the sheer cliffs. It was a strong defensive position with many small
nests up in the cliffside where archers could sit and rain arrows down from
above. The defenders of the fortress were led by the most storied
commander in all Klyrode, MacTaulo.
MacTaulo was skilled with the sword and had much experience facing
the Dark Army time and time again—experience that formed the basis of
his many stratagems. To the armies of Klyrode, who had endured loss after
loss at the hands of the Dark Army, he was a godsend. His fortress was
located just east of the Dark Citadel, where its presence was perhaps the
greatest source of aggravation to the Dark Army. Time and time again they
had launched attacks against MacTaulo's fortress, and time and time again
he would crush their forces.
Finally out of patience, the lichsteed Sleip—one of the Infernal Four—
led his own army to attack MacTaulo's fortress, intending to overwhelm the
position. Being the eldest of the Infernals, Sleip was canny enough not to
seek victory through brute force, but used a specific strategy to oppose his
enemies.
◇ ◇ ◇
In a tent in the center of the fortifications, MacTaulo was losing his
temper. "Are the supplies still not here?!" He scowled as he snapped in
irritation, slamming both fists down onto his desk. Soldiers were standing
by all around, yet none of them had any answer for their commander.
MacTaulo glared at them and clicked his tongue.
MacTaulo had good reason to be angry. Although he had sent his army
to oppose Sleip, the lichsteed had not once allowed their armies to clash.
Instead he would send small teams of elite fighters behind MacTaulo's
position to target the supply lines.
Sleip's strategy was to starve out MacTaulo. Whenever a supply caravan
would come upon the area, the Dark Army's top fighters would appear from
all directions, crushing them utterly.
MacTaulo had tightened security in the surrounding area in an attempt to
counteract this, but Sleip's elite forces were focused around a solid core of
horse-type magic beasts. They excelled in speed, so much so that the
knights of Klyrode's army could not so much as give chase. They were
sitting ducks.
There had been few attacks on the fortification itself—the defenses were
undamaged, at least—but thanks to the continual attacks on their supply
line, it had been almost a month since any supplies had reached them. Food
was growing scarcer by the day. Just as Sleip had calculated, they were
starving.
"It won't be long before the whole army deserts," MacTaulo spat. But
just then, the sound of an explosion rang out. "What was that?!" Alarmed,
he flew out of his tent. He hurried through the tunnel dug in the cliff up to
the watchtower.
"What was that sound?!" he demanded.
"Sir, it's the enemy! It appears that one of Sleip's elite units has joined
battle behind our position."
"Again?! Show me! Where have you been watching?!" MacTaulo
growled as he looked out towards the forest. He could see tongues of flames
rising from the trees. "Damnation. It's another supply caravan under attack.
They need help, immediately!"
He turned in an evident hurry back towards the tunnel he had come
from, when something caught his eye. It was running through the area
marked by the flickering flames at breakneck speeds. "The Dark Army? No,
it can't be..." MacTaulo's eyes opened wide as he took another look.
◇Meanwhile, in the Forest Nearby◇
The nightmare Dalc Horst was one of the Infernal Sleip's direct
subordinates, and captain of the strike team. Right now, he was running at
full speed through the forest, dismay and disbelief written on his face.
"How?!" he shouted. "What?! Why?!"
His horseman soldiers pelted through the trees in horse form. It was
unthinkable for them to have been driven off like this by the Klyrode army,
and yet the white thing chasing him was unbelievably fast—even faster than
he was.
"Aaaah!" Behind him, someone screamed. Dalc Horst turned his head to
look over his shoulder and saw a great white wolf atop one of his soldiers,
forcing them to the ground.
"Curses! Another one down!" Dalc Horst clicked his tongue and took a
good look at the wolf. He took in her supple limbs, her powerful body, and
her speed which easily outclassed any horse. "I've heard of you, lupine..."
he said.
It's her—the lupine demon who fights alongside humans... Dalc Horst
swallowed at the memory of the rumors. He kept watching her as he ran
forward, his head turned over his shoulder.
He could see the cart coming up behind the lupine demon; it was pulled
not by a horse, but by a magic beast that looked to be a psychobear. It was
running after the lupine with ferocious speed. He could see a human man
wearing a blue wolf mask driving the cart as well.
Dalc Horst's eyes went wide. "Everyone scatter!" he shouted. "They're
the ones who've been wrecking our strike forces!" He bolted for the trees,
running in a zigzag pattern.
"Harumph!" one of the firesteed soldiers running nearby shot back.
"Don't tell me you believe in rumors like that. I'll burn them to ashes!" He
turned around, whinnying fiercely and charging straight at the lupine.
"Prepare yourself! That wagon's as good as burnt!" As he spoke, the flames
that made up his mane rose into the sky like a pillar of fire. It made a
thunderous roar as he descended upon the wolf.
The man driving the wagon raised his hand and the flames suddenly
vanished. "Wh-What?!" The firesteed couldn't believe his eyes, and for a
second he hesitated.
A second was all it took for the wolf to plow into his solar plexus,
kicking his large body up into the air. "Gwaaaah!" he shouted as he sailed
high through the sky. Quite some time passed before he finally hit the
ground.
He pulled himself to his feet and once more launched an attack on the
wagon, but all he got for his efforts was a trampling by the psychobear. This
was enough for him to lose consciousness entirely.
Dalc Horst clicked his tongue. "Scatter!" he shouted again. "Everyone
scatter! Retreat to the camp!" After seeing what had happened to the
firesteed, the other soldiers didn't hesitate. They ran every which way into
the woods.
"Hmm..." said the man in the wolf mask. "It might be troublesome if
they get away." He raised his arm again and uttered a short incantation. A
magic circle appeared around his hand.
"Wh-What now?!" Distressed cries came from every direction as the
horseman soldiers found their bodies suddenly unnaturally heavy. They
tried as hard as they could to run even as their limbs turned to lead, but due
to the magic of the man in the wolf mask, one after another collapsed until
finally Dalc Horst himself crumbled under the weight. They were utterly
overwhelmed.
After making sure that every last one of the horsemen was pinned to the
ground, the lupine demon made her leisurely way back to the wagon. "My
lord husband, what shall we do with them?" As she spoke, she slowly
returned to her human form.
"Well, let's see," said the man as he took off his wolf mask. "Would you
gather them together in one place, Rys? Once we're done with our business
here, we'll circle back and have a chat." The psychobear rubbed
affectionately up against the man. That man was Flio.
Psychobears are known for their singularly violent natures. Ordinarily
they would see a human as nothing but prey. For a psychobear to act like
this would normally be beyond belief, and yet this psychobear was rubbing
its head up against Flio's cheeks like a large friendly dog. Flio petted it
gently on the head. "Good job today, Sybe," he said. "Thank you."
Sybe was Flio's household pet. It rumbled happily at the attention.
◇Inside the Fortification◇
"My apologies for the delay. We're here to deliver the supplies requested
by the Klyrode army." Flio smiled in a businessy way and handed a sheet of
paper to MacTaulo. On it was written an inventory of the supplies Flio had
brought with him.
"You... You brought us our supplies?" MacTaulo was shocked, to say
nothing of the rest of the soldiers milling about the command tent who
stood wide-eyed in disbelief. After all, every supply caravan up until this
point had been obliterated by the Dark Army's strike teams. Furthermore,
the destroyed caravans had been supply-transport teams from the Klyrode
army accompanied by soldiers for defense. But the man who had succeeded
where they failed looked like no soldier MacTaulo had ever seen.
"I-I'm sorry," said MacTaulo. "Who are you, exactly?"
"Of course, sir," said Flio, his calm demeanor unwavering. "I am the
proprietor of the Fli-o'-Rys General Store in the city of Houghtow. You
may call me Flio. We're a new establishment, but if there is anything you
need delivered, I would encourage you to contact us at any time."
MacTaulo frowned. "That's not... I mean, I'm grateful for the delivery,
but... Well, this is the front line in the war against the Dark Army. I could
never ask a group of civilian merchants to come here."
"Oh, there's no need to worry on that front." Still wearing his calm
smile, Flio pointed forward. A magic circle appeared around his hand, and a
larger circle began to form where he was pointing. Very quickly, the circle
manifested a large door.
"If you would come this way," said Flio as he made his way to the door
to open it. On the other side was the inside of a shop.
A woman poked her head out. She looked like one of the catfolk. Her
tail waved in curiosity. "Meow? Flio?"
"Hello Uliminas," said Flio. "I'm sorry to interrupt your work. This is
our client, Captain MacTaulo."
The catfolk woman gave MacTaulo a big friendly smile. "Nice to meet
mew! I'm Uliminas, treasurer of the Fli-o'-Rys Company!"
The door and Uliminas had appeared so suddenly that neither MacTaulo
nor any of the other soldiers in the fortification knew how to respond. For a
second they just stood there silently watching. Flio looked around at the
assembled soldiers, still maintaining his pleasantly businesslike demeanor.
"I'm a fair hand at magic, you see," he said. "If I've been to a place
before, I can create a portal leading back. This way, if there is anything you
need, we will be able to deliver it without any hassle. Oh, and I'll give you
this in case you want to make an order." Flio retrieved a crystal about the
size of a fist from his Bottomless Bag and handed it to MacTaulo.
"What's this?"
"That is a Speaking Crystal. I have one as well. If you speak into it, we
will be able to converse from a long distance."
"Call us any time!" said Uliminas. "We're more than happy to let you
purruse our wares!" She smiled politely and bowed.
MacTaulo was speechless. A p-portal? he thought. Even the castle's best
magic users can't create a portal alone... And a Speaking Crystal? I've
never even seen one of those before...
While the commander's mind raced furiously, Flio and Uliminas
continued to smile like nothing at all was odd.
◇Some Time Later, in the Forest Nearby◇
The elite strike team under the command of Sleip had tried to attack
Flio, and for their efforts they had been captured to the very last demon.
They were in their human forms, bound and gathered together in a corner of
the forest. Rys, Sybe, Hiya, and Damalynas stood in a circle around them.
To hide their identities, everyone except Rys (who was in her wolf form)
and Sybe (who looked like any psychobear) wore wolf masks. They were
shaped like Flio's mask, but while his was blue, Hiya's was yellow and
Damalynas's was violet.
Hiya even went to the trouble of changing the golden halo that shone
behind their head to a shape based on a wolf.
Finally, Flio made his appearance. "My lord husband!" Rys cried. She
ran up to him and nuzzled her head against his body, rumbling as he
scritched her.
The horsemen couldn't believe their eyes. They began whispering to
each other as they stared. "He has that ferocious beast acting like a tame
puppy..." muttered one.
"Who is he?" said another.
Flio glanced at their captives for a moment and then turned back to Rys.
"How are things over here?"
"Well, Hiya and Damal—" She stopped herself. "No, sorry, I mean
Djinn Justice and Wizard Justice healed everyone who was injured, as you
asked." Hiya gave a deep bow, while Damalynas puffed her chest out
proudly.
Flio nodded, satisfied, and stepped towards the strike team. "Which of
you is the captain?" he asked.
Dalc Horst was seething, but he saw no option but to cooperate. "I am."
Flio approached him and squatted down, bringing his eyes to Dalc
Horst's level. Dalc Horst determinedly refused to break eye contact. "So?"
he said, his voice brusque. "What are you lot gonna do with us? Kill us on
the spot? Send us to Klyrode Castle?"
Flio's smile was calm and pleasant as always. "Actually, there's
something I'd like to ask you to do. As long as you agree, I don't see any
reason you can't go back to the Dark Army's camp."
"What?" Dalc Horst had not been expecting this. Behind him, his
subordinates started to murmur in surprise. "We're free to go if we do what
you say?"
"Yes, I promise," said Flio, still smiling. "If you prefer, I can send you
somewhere else with Teleportation magic."
Dalc Horst looked over at Rys, and the others surrounding them. This
man... He's gotta be the one smashing all our guerrilla teams...and I've
heard that the lupine is his Summon. I might be able to take on the
psychobear—that's just a magic beast—but the djinn and the wizard might
give us trouble... I didn't see them in the fighting earlier, but they seem like
they have some pretty serious magic. We really don't have any other
options.
Dalc Horst sighed deeply and looked back at Flio. "Well, I'll at least
hear what you want from us..."
Flio smiled and opened his mouth to speak.
◇A Bit Later, in the Dark Army Encampment◇
To the north of the Klyrode army's position was the fortified
encampment of the lichsteed Sleip, defended by wooden palisades placed in
the gaps between trees. Inside, Dalc Horst's strike team was standing at
attention. They had just returned and now were before Sleip himself.
Sleip sat in his chair and regarded Dalc Horst's group. "Well? What did
the man in the wolf mask ask you to do?"
At those words, Dalc Horst stepped forward and handed Sleip a letter.
"Just to give this to the commander of the Dark Army forces stationed
here..."
"That's it?"
"Yes, sir. He really didn't want anything but that. We said yes and he
sent us back here, good as his word. I guess it's not as simple as them
wanting us wiped out..." Dalc Horst shook his head in disbelief at his own
story.
Sleip opened the letter. "We wish for peace" was all it said. Sleip read it
a number of times, puzzled. He turned it over to see if there was something
written on the back, but there wasn't.
"Preposterous." Sleip clicked his tongue. "How long have we been at
war with the humans? And he expects us to just forget all that history of
bloodshed?"
◇Meanwhile, in the Fli-o'-Rys General Store◇
After seeing off Dalc Horst and his team and double-checking to make
sure they had finished all their business with the Klyrode army, Flio cast
Teleportation to return to his store in Houghtow City.
"Hm." Hiya followed after Flio into the store and shook their head. "I
cannot help but feel we mishandled that. Exalted One, I question the
wisdom of sending members of the Dark Army back as you did. I am
certain they will attempt again to attack the human position."
Damalynas, who was standing next to Hiya, nodded. "I was thinking the
same thing. They're gonna go right back to crushing the fortress, right?"
"Well, maybe." Flio forced a smile, holding out both hands in front of
him in a gesture of pacification. "But at least they know what we want now.
I think we should wait and see."
"But—" Damalynas stepped towards Flio, her disagreement written on
her face, but whatever she was going to say was interrupted by Rys's
snickering laughter.
"Well, I suppose I can't fault you two for being so pent-up after missing
the battle entirely! You know, we called you when they attacked but you
wouldn't come out of your mindscape."
Damalynas's cheeks flushed bright red. "Well! You see! I... We were... I
was in the middle of training with Their Divinity Hiya! I couldn't help it!"
She turned away in a huff.
Rys only snickered harder. "Training, is it? And here I thought you two
were just enjoying each other's company."
Damalynas sputtered. "I... B-B-But!"
Hiya rested their jaw on their closed fist. "Hm. I cannot deny that the
two of us became so engrossed in our training that we were late to reach the
scene. I acknowledge the error." Then, they turned to look at Damalynas.
"So, Damalynas, shall we continue where we left off?"
"Oh! Ah... Y-Yes..." Damalynas stumbled over her words but nodded
eagerly. Hiya wrapped their arms around her shoulders and cast
Teleportation. The two vanished.
Rys kept looking at the spot the two had been standing at and grinned.
"Those two really are quite the couple."
Byleri, too, had been staring as she restocked the shelves back in the
shop. "Mx. Hiya and Miss Damalynas... Like, I wonder what they're getting
up to in their mindscape?" she mumbled to herself, her face red. "I bet
they're totally doing that...or maybe even that. Or... No, they couldn't
possibly be doing that, could they?! But, like, Mx. Hiya can have any
anatomy they want, right? ...Maybe they're doing that..." She giggled as she
imagined it, a big goofy grin on her face.
Byleri had once been a member of a knightly company, serving as an
archer and a stablehand, but started staying indefinitely at Flio's house
along with the rest of her company after Flio had saved them from
monsters. Now she helped out with the Fli-o'-Rys Company and raised
horses to rent out. She had also secretly amassed a collection of books
concerning (rather, depicting) the act of sexual intercourse, a subject with
which she was becoming increasingly fascinated.
◇ ◇ ◇
As Flio and his companions carried on their conversation, the shop
around them was busy with customers as always. Among them, a company
of knights from Klyrode Castle was checking out the equipment on display
with wide eyes.
"I can't believe it," one said. "I would never have imagined you'd find
equipment like this in some backwater city. Look." He gestured at a shield.
"This shield is made out of dragon scales."
"Really?! But I heard almost all of the dragon clans were with the Dark
Army..." said another.
"I'm serious! Look! There's no way this is fake. Do those look like giant
lizard scales to you?"
"N-No... The sheen is different...and the texture too."
The knights kept browsing, raving about the quality of the weapons.
After all, the weapons for sale were all made with exacting skill by Flio
himself out of materials like dragonscale that were almost impossible to
obtain through normal channels and enchanted (also by Flio) with all kinds
of magical effects. They were far, far better than the equipment available at
the castle. Flio was practically mass-producing legendary items.
As the knights were enraptured, a group of women stepped into the
shop. "Lord Flio! We have returned!"
"Ah, Balirossa! Good work today." Flio greeted the woman at the head
of the group with his typical smile. "Did you run into any trouble?"
"None especially," said Balirossa. "We came under attack by brigands
on some occasions, but Ser Greanyl's supply team routed them with no
difficulty." Greanyl, who was standing behind Balirossa, nodded.
Led by Greanyl, the Fli-o'-Rys Company Supply Team had once been
known as the Silent Listeners: Uliminas's minions and the Dark Army's one
and only spy corps. When Gholl—the previous Dark One—abdicated his
throne to freeload at Flio's house, Uliminas and her Silent Listeners
followed him, abandoning the Dark Army. Now they had found
employment at the Fli-o'-Rys Company.
"Thank you, Greanyl," said Flio. "That was a big help."
"Such words are not necessary to one such as I," she responded, bowing
deeply. "But I thank you."
The knights from the castle were watching Balirossa and whispering
noisily to each other. "Hey... Isn't that Balirossa?"
"It is. I'm certain. That's Balirossa, our former comrade..."
Balirossa—along with Blossom, Byleri, and Belano—had once served
Klyrode Castle as a knightly company. They came to live with Flio after he
saved their lives, and eventually abandoned their station as knights of
Klyrode. Now they worked for the Fli-o'-Rys Company. There were few
women among the knightly companies and even fewer all-female
companies, and Balirossa in particular had become an object of admiration
for many of the male knights. She bore herself with the dignity befitting the
daughter of a family of famous knights, after all, and her face was
classically beautiful to the highest degree.
Balirossa, of course, had no idea. As a knight, she devoted herself
single-mindedly to her swordsmanship, refused every one of the many
dinner invitations she received. Eventually she left Klyrode Castle, quitting
without ceremony. Many were the knights who would fall into dark
brooding at the mention of her name. And now here she was—right in front
of their eyes.
"I-I'm going to talk to her," said one, stepping away from the group. He
smoothed his hair down with the palm of his hand and cleared his throat a
few times before walking up to Balirossa. "Um... Um, e-excuse me..." he
said, raising his arm in an attempt to get her attention. Suddenly, a man
standing to his side seized his arm in a strong grip. "Huh?!"
"Hrm," said the man. "What do you want?" This was Ghozal. He wore a
brown apron that didn't at all suit him. He was much taller than the knight,
his body rippling with muscles.
"Ah? N-No, I..." Staring up at Ghozal, the man faltered.
Ghozal looked back down at him, surly-faced. "I repeat," he said.
"What. Do. You. Want." He was glaring daggers. A dark aura seemed to
well up behind him.
"You mewdiot!" A catfolk woman leapt into the air, smashing a paper
fan against the back of his head.
"H-Hrm? What's the matter, Uliminas?" said Ghozal, startled.
"What do mew mean what's the meowter?! Stop harassing the
customers!"
"Hrm? I did no such thing. I asked him a sincere question."
"Oh yeah?! Than I suppose I was imagining mew releasing your
meowra?!"
"Hrm? I did not release my aura!"
"Mew did! It wasn't even subtle!" Uliminas leapt up again, landing a
blow with her fan that would have sent any man flying. In Ghozal's case,
however, it did about as much damage as a mosquito bite. Ghozal's muscles
were unreasonably tough.
Uliminas and Ghozal continued to argue as Balirossa, her report
finished, vanished into the backroom. "A-Ahh..." the knight stared after her
with pleading eyes, but he was stuck, his arm still held tight in Ghozal's
grasp. His fellows decided she had left for good, so they made some
purchases and left.
Blossom saw them off with a "Y'all have a great day!" but the men
looked like their hearts were in turmoil.
"That..." said one. "That was Blossom, wasn't it?"
Blossom was one of the former knights staying at Flio's house. She had
been a heavy fighter, and now she spent her time tending to the farm outside
their residence and helping with the company.
"Like, what was with them?" said Byleri. "It's like they weren't even
looking at us, y'know?"
"Yeah. They just kept staring at the back room..." Blossom grimaced. "I
guess everyone loves our Balirossa!"
"Right? And, like, she still has no idea?"
Something bumped up against the girls' feet as they spoke.
"Oh?" said Blossom.
"Huh?" said Byleri.
They looked down to see Sybe in unicorn rabbit form walking around on
two legs and nudging them to get their attention. It seemed like it was trying
to tell them that they were just as cute.
"Honestly, Sybe," said Blossom, scooping the rabbit up in her arms,
"you're one to talk about cuties, you cutie!"
As Blossom held it, Byleri patted it on the head. "Aha ha, like, thank
you, Sybe!"
Sybe looked between the two and snuffled happily.
◇Days Later, Klyrode Castle—Throne Room◇
The Maiden Queen looked down from her throne at her knight captain
Boralis as she stepped into the throne room. "Tell me, Boralis," she said.
"How fares the war?"
"The enemy has yet to make a significant move, Your Majesty,"
answered the knight. "I have received reports as well, saying that our
problem with the Infernal Sleip cutting off supply caravans to the east has
been resolved with the aid of a civilian general store." The Queen's vassals
who had gathered in the throne room began to stir.
"They were able to resupply the fortress?" said a vassal.
"I would think they'd have more problems with the horsemen..." added
another.
"They were able to destroy our caravans, after all...with knights
defending them, no less," said a third.
The Maiden Queen, for her part, gave a satisfied nod as she listened. The
Fli-o'-Rys General Store, was it? she thought. Lord Flio's company was
able to bring our goods safely, it seems. I owe him my thanks.
She raised her head and looked around the room at the noisy crowd.
"The Dark Army has yet to recover its full strength. Their defeat has been a
telling blow, it seems. We must take this opportunity to strengthen our
position. We cannot allow a single gap in our defenses."
The retainers lowered their heads as one at the Queen's words. The
Maiden Queen's victory over the Dark One Yuigarde's invasion force had
become legendary in the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode and the surrounding
lands. Even the vassals who had once expressed uncertainty in her abilities
due to the newness of her ascension to the throne now placed their complete
trust in her words.
Boralis's report was followed by the Queen's vassals giving theirs. At
present there were no particularly important matters to report, which came
as another relief to the Maiden Queen.
One of her vassals stepped forward. "Your Majesty," he said, hesitating,
"there is something I wish to say."
"Yes?" said the Queen. "Speak your mind."
The man stepped to the front of the throne. "We have seen that Klyrode
is well equipped to handle the Dark Army..." he said. "But I fear that we
know less than we should of the other lands."
"Other lands... You speak of the bandits to the west and the pirates to the
south?"
"Precisely, Your Majesty." The vassal nodded.
The queen touched her hand to her chin as she thought. "Let me see... I
believe the west is not so pressing a concern. Our knights patrol those lands
regularly. The south, however, we have left entirely in the hands of the
nobility..."
"Yes... I was thinking in particular of the Calgosi Coast. The ruling
noble family there has been late with their regular reports. I worry..."
"Indeed. We should not neglect this." The Maiden Queen looked to
Boralis, who was now standing at her side. "Boralis, have an emissary sent
to the Calgosi Coast at once."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I am afraid, however, that even on a fast horse, it
will take an emissary two months to make the trip and return."
"Consult with the mages to see if they can spare anyone who can cast
Teleportation. Have it known that I deem this a high-priority mission."
"Yes, Your Majesty, at once." Boralis bowed deeply and took her leave.
◇Klyrode Castle—The Maiden Queen's Chambers◇
The meeting concluded, and the Maiden Queen returned to her chambers
and flopped onto her bed, sighing loudly. "It's enough that we must contend
with the Dark Army, but bandits and pirates as well? Am I allowed no time
at all to rest?" She sighed again and closed her eyes, taking deep, calming
breaths.
A few breaths in, she stopped and shot up in bed. "No, I mustn't... This
is not the time to lose heart." Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she clapped her
hands against her cheeks as if to rouse herself. "I chose this path... I will not
complain of my decision." She squeezed her fist tight. "But..." She glanced
at her dresser where on top, next to her mirror, sat a single ring.
There was a magic gem set in the ring with an enchantment of
communication magic. Flio had its matching pair. If she was ever in trouble,
she could use this ring to contact him directly. It was this ring that she had
used to speak with Flio and develop the plan of supporting the fortress
earlier with supplies from the Fli-o'-Rys Company.
She clutched the ring tight in her hand and held it against her chest. "If
only there was someone among my suitors like Lord Flio... How much
could I accomplish with his support as my husband..." She began to breathe
heavily as she thought of it.
Suddenly, she caught sight of the mirror in front of her. Inside there was
a woman, fearsome-looking and clearly not human.
"Eek!" cried the Maiden Queen. She jumped in the air, her eyes wide.
But as suddenly as she had appeared, the woman in the mirror vanished.
"What... What in the world...?"
She stared, shocked into silence, her body feeling suddenly cold.
◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
"Rys, what's wrong?" Flio looked over at his wife, disconcerted. She
had frozen in place, transfixed in front of the mirror she had been using to
do her hair.
Rys was startled at Flio's voice before relaxing once more. "O-Oh! It's
nothing, my lord husband," she said. What was that feeling...? she thought.
Like there was a woman on the other side of the mirror... A woman whom I
must kill...
Rys put on a fake smile and did her best to act natural as she continued
to gaze into the mirror.
◇Days Later, In a Forest◇
Deep in a forest far away from any official roads, a number of wagons
made their way down a small path, barely more than an animal trail.
"Hey, you sure this is the right way?" said one of the men driving the
wagons.
"Positive!" said another. "Trust me, I know this area."
"All right. Lead the way, then."
Two figures watched the wagon train from the underbrush.
"Hero Gold-Haaair...is this gonna be okaaay?"
"Of course it'll be okay! Hero Gold-Hair here doesn't know the word
failure!"
"You dooon't? But I thought..." Tsuya touched her finger to her cheek
and tilted her head in confusion. Her head and body were covered in a green
cloth, while Hero Gold-Hair had a branch tied to his head.
Hero Gold-Hair glanced at Tsuya from the corner of his eye. "Don't
think!" he snapped, scowling as he brought his face close to hers. "Focus on
the plan!"
"Eeeek, sooorry! I won't think! Prooomise!" Tsuya flailed her arms in a
flustered panic before she turned her eyes back to the wagons. The two
watched as they drew close to a large tree. Then, there was a sickening
crunch. The wheels of the front cart were stuck in a hole.
"What?!" cried the driver. "A pitfall?!"
"Yes! Got 'em!" Gold-Hair reached into his Bottomless Bag and took
out a shovel. This was the Drilldozer Shovel—a legendary item that was
once among the treasures hidden in the sanctuary of Klyrode Castle. GoldHair had taken it with him when he fled the castle sanctuary. "All right,
Tsuya," he said. "You're up. You remember the plan, right?"
"Y-Yes, Hero Gold-Haaair!" Tsuya gave Gold-Hair a sharp salute.
Satisfied, he struck the earth with the Drilldozer Shovel and began to dig. A
normal shovel would take a bit of time to dig even a small hole, but with the
legendary Drilldozer Shovel in hand, Hero Gold-Hair dug faster than the
eye could see. In no time at all, he had vanished underground, out of sight.
A few seconds later, the train of wagons one after the other found their
wheels stuck, just like the front wagon's were. Holes had seemingly
appeared from nowhere, swallowing up their wheels. Voices rang out:
"Wha—"
"What's going on?!"
Hero Gold-Hair had dug along under their feet, transferring the earth he
displaced into his Bottomless Bag as he went. With the wagons stuck in
place, he was able to dig holes to trap them in from directly underneath.
This stunt was, of course, possible due to the superspeed digging ability of
the Drilldozer Shovel.
From her position hidden in the underbrush, Tsuya watched as cart after
cart dropped into the holes. "All riiight..." she muttered to herself. "Time to
gooo..." She took a number of magic gems out of her own Bottomless Bag,
holding them in both hands. The crews of the wagons were milling around,
checking on their stuck wagon wheels. "Heeeave...hooo!" Tsuya shouted as
she threw the magic gems at the carts.
When they caught a glimpse of the magic gems flying out of the
underbrush, the wagon crew started looking in that direction. Before their
eyes was Tsuya dressed in a green cloth, taking to her feet and writhing
strangely. A second later, the magic gems all began emitting a black smoke.
These magic gems were made for self-defense to facilitate running away if
their owners were to come under attack by bandits. The smoke had a
nauseous quality that made its victims' eyes tear up and stung their throats,
inducing painful coughs.
"Ahh! What now?!" cried one.
"This is awful!" complained another.
Tears streaming down their faces and coughing in fits, the wagon crews
began to scatter. And amongst the chaotic scene was Tsuya. "W-We're the
Daaark Aaarmy!" she shouted as loud as she could, still writhing and
wriggling her body. "We're scaaary mooonsters! Roooar! Grooowl!"
That being said, Tsuya had a voice that could only be described as
adorable, and no particular skill at mimicry. It sounded more like she was a
child playing a game. Moreover, draping a green cloth over herself and
squirming was not nearly enough to instill anything resembling fear in her
victims. The noxious smoke from the magic gems Tsuya had thrown,
however, was quite effective, and the crews continued to panic, seemingly
oblivious to Tsuya's presence.
"I can't take this... Let's get out of here!"
"Somebody save uuus!"
"They're not paying me enough for this!" The crewman coughed.
Wailing and screaming, they ran off every which way.
When it seemed like everyone had left, and just as the magic gems
stopped emitting smoke, Hero Gold-Hair popped out of a hole near one of
the wagons, almost as if he had planned it. He took a good look around.
"Hm, hm. Looks like they've all run away." Still keeping a sharp eye out,
he stepped up to the wagon.
Suddenly, Tsuya popped out from behind him, still draped in her cloth.
"I-It's the Daaark Aaarmy! Run awaaay! We're gonna eeeat yooou!" She
was shouting as loud as she could, still twisting and turning unnaturally.
Hero Gold-Hair turned to face her and walked over. He seized the cloth she
was wearing in his hand and pulled it off. "Fweeeh?!" she shrieked. She had
mistaken him for one of the wagon crewmen. She curled up into a ball and
grabbed her head, trembling and begging for forgiveness. "I'm sooorry! It's
not my faaault! I'm doing this for Hero Gooold-Haaair! I'm sooo
sooorryyy!"
Gold-Hair regarded Tsuya with a look of sheer exasperation. "Look, you
idiot. It's me."
"Fweh...? H-Hero Gold-Haaair?" When she realized who it was, Tsuya
clung to him tight, tears in her eyes. "D-Don't surpriiise me like thaaat! I
thought my heeeart was going to explooode!"
"All right, all right! But we have to hurry! Who knows when that lot will
return."
"O-Okaaay..."
Tsuya grabbed her Bottomless Bag and turned towards the wagons. Hero
Gold-Hair, likewise, took up his own bag and faced the wagons as well. The
two systematically stuffed every last crate in the wagon train into their
Bottomless Bags. Although the bags were no bigger than an adult's fist, the
inside could fit a volume of items equivalent to an average treasury. Not
only that, but no matter how much was inside, the bag never got any
heavier. It was an immensely useful magic item. Bottomless Bags were hard
to come by even in a store that specialized in magic items, and if you were
to happen upon one, its price would be commensurately high. Hero GoldHair and Tsuya had been given their bags back when Gold-Hair was still
being pampered by Klyrode Castle, exploiting his status as Hero.
"Are you done, Tsuya?"
"I aaam! Eeeverything's packed awaaay!"
"Good! Now let's get out of here before they come back!"
"Okaaay!"
Hero Gold-Hair began to make his hasty way deeper into the forest with
Tsuya jogging after.
While they were moving, Tsuya spoke up. "Um... Hero Gold-Haaair?"
"Yes, Tsuya, what is it?"
"Um... Maaaybe I'm being silly but...if we dooo things like that, won't
Klyrode Caaastle say we're even wooorse criminals or something?" Tsuya
pressed her finger against her lips as she cocked her head.
"Don't be stupid!"
"Eeexcuse me?! Looook, I know I'm not as smart as yooou, buuut..."
"Look. Yes, attacking wagons, pillaging... It's true that those would be
considered crimes. But think about it!"
"Huuuh?"
"Why do you think those wagons were going down such a middle-ofnowhere little nothing road like this?!"
"Uuum..." Tsuya folded her arms, thinking as hard as she could about
Gold-Hair's question. But nothing came to her. Hero Gold-Hair, seeing that
she was stumped, cleared his throat and began to speak.
"See, the reason someone would use a road like this is because they
want to avoid being seen. In other words, they're carrying stolen goods, or
some other kind of shady items. Either way, it'll be something they can't
carry openly. Do you think someone like that is going to file a criminal
complaint?"
"Oooh, I seeee! They wooon't, will theeey?!" Tsuya nodded eagerly,
happy to finally understand.
Hero Gold-Hair nodded like a satisfied teacher. He wagged his finger as
he continued. "For the most part, bandits are just out for themselves. So
there's no harm in helping ourselves to their spoils!"
"I seeee! You're amaaazing, Hero Gold-Haaair!"
"Now, let's head back to town to sell this haul!"
"And when we're dooone, we can reeest and then find mooore people to
ambush!"
"Precisely!" So he said, but Hero Gold-Hair somehow seemed
unsatisfied about something. "By the way, Tsuya..."
"Yeees? What iiis it, Hero Gold-Haaair?"
"Don't you think your intimidation was a little...weak?"
"Whaaat? I tried reaaaally haaard, though! I went aaall-out on my
roooars! And saying, 'We're the Daaark Aaarmy!' and stuuuff..." Tsuya
shook her head, and began once again waving her arms and wriggling her
body. It really looked like it couldn't be anything other than someone
playing pretend.
Hero Gold-Hair kneaded his forehead. "You need more training once we
get back to the inn..."
"You don't think this is gooood enooough?"
"Imbecile! It's nowhere near good enough! Not even close!"
"Whaaat?! Why are you being so meeean?!"
"Well, why are you so convinced that pitiful performance is good
enough?!"
"Buuut!"
"No buts!"
"Waaah... I'm sooorry!"
The pair vanished deep into the forest as they kept on arguing.
◇A Building Somewhere—A Room◇
Deep in the backstreets of a certain city, in a room on the second story of
a certain building, a man sitting in an extravagant chair was grumbling in
irritation. This man was the Shadow King. He had once reigned as King
Klyrode, but he had been driven from the throne when his wrongdoings
were brought to light by his own daughter, who was then the first princess.
Even as the reigning king, he had been involved in shady underworld
business behind the scenes, and after being deposed he redoubled his
efforts, taking on a new name.
To the right of the Shadow King's seat stood the fox demon Kintsuno
the Gold wearing a gold cheongsam dress with deep slits, and to the left
stood her sister, Gintsuno the Silver in a matching silver cheongsam.
"Well?" yipped Kintsuno. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Surely it can't take this long to deliver some goods, can it?" added
Gintsuno. She and her sister seized the Shadow King's head from either
side.
The Shadow King, his head caught between two fox demons, clicked his
tongue. "Stolen goods, you understand, can't be transported openly. It takes
time to move them along the back roads unseen."
"Oh?" said Kintsuno.
"Well, that's all well and good..." added Gintsuno with a yip. "But if
anything doesn't show up, we're making it your problem."
Just then, a loud rumbling sound came from Kintsuno the Gold's and
Gintsuno the Silver's stomachs simultaneously, reverberating throughout
the room. Both foxes flushed red and quickly pressed their hands against
their stomachs.
The Shadow King looked between the two. "Well, well... I had a feeling
you were in a terrible hurry. Don't tell me you aren't eating properly?"
"No!" yipped Kintsuno. "Nothing like that!"
"We-We were a bit busy today...we must have forgotten to eat!" added
Gintsuno. The two folded their arms and laughed.
Not long before, the demon fox sisters had hatched a plot to recover the
three hidden treasures of the fox clan and use their power to defeat
Yuigarde, the new Dark One, and take his place. In the end, however, the
Eastern Wind had been stolen by Flio's group, the Scouring Gourd crushed
by Ghozal, and the Devil Fox Sword—which they had left behind—was
lost when their stronghold was destroyed. In the aftermath, the other demon
clans of the west had banded together, ousting them from their position as
chiefs. The only option left to them was to work with the Shadow King to
rebuild their lost strength.
Even under these circumstances, the pair affected confident laughter.
The Shadow King again clicked his tongue. "Well, there's nothing I can
do to make your goods arrive faster anyway."
The Shadow King, too, was struggling through some harsh times. He
had indulged in theft, in disguising inferior items as high quality to sell for
an inflated price, and in all kinds of usury—but recently nothing had been
going particularly well. He would have a merchant caravan attacked only
for his men to be wiped out by the defenders. He would sell fake items only
for the scheme to be immediately exposed and his underlings arrested. He
was prepared to throw in the towel on his current scheme and have all of the
stolen goods and forgeries collected together, but even those were taking a
long time to arrive.
"Even so," he mumbled, "how much time can it possibly take..."
Suddenly, the door flew open. "Your Majesty, I have terrible news!" One
of his henchmen burst into the room.
"You're in a hurry. What happened?"
"Y-Yes, well...the men who were transporting our goods from the north
have returned..."
"Ooh!" the King's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward in his chair.
"They've finally arrived!"
The fox sisters smiled genuinely when they heard the words and
embraced each other.
"We're getting our money!" yipped Kintsuno.
"We're going to eat!" yipped Gintsuno. "We can start building our
resources again!"
The henchman stood still, his face pale as he watched the celebratory
scene. "Oh, um... This is...hard to say..."
"Hm?" said the Shadow King. "Don't worry about how we plan to sell
it, I have other people working on that."
"No, it's... Well, they say they came under attack on the road and had to
abandon the wagons..."
The Shadow King blanched. "What?!"
The sisters, who had been joyfully embracing a second ago, did as well.
"What did you say?!" said Kintsuno.
"Then... Then none of it is coming?!" cried Gintsuno. Once again their
stomachs rang out, and the two collapsed onto the floor.
The Shadow King rose from his chair. "Mercenaries!" he bellowed
furiously. "Get me mercenaries! Have them recover the goods at once!"
"Y-Yes! Yes, Your Majesty!" The henchman hurried out of the room as
fast as he could.
"Honestly," the Shadow King spat, "if it's not one thing, it's another..."
He clicked his tongue again as the sound of the foxes' empty bellies filled
the room.
Later, mercenaries were sent to the scene under orders from the Shadow
King, but all they found were empty, abandoned wagons.
◇A City Street, Somewhere◇
Hero Gold-Hair and Tsuya ran for their lives down the street. Chasing
behind them was the ever-persistent town guard.
"How did this happen?!" Gold-Hair lamented as he ran.
"Halt!" shouted a guard. "You're under arrest for the attempted sale of
stolen goods!"
"Stop resisting!" shouted another.
"H-Hero Gold-Haaair! Wh-What do we dooo?" Tsuya whined
plaintively.
"How should I know?! Just keep running!" Hero Gold-Hair turned a
sharp corner and ran off into the backstreets. Tsuya followed him as fast as
she could. "I just don't get it! I had a feeling that stuff was kind of a big
deal, but how could they tell it was stolen? It's like they already knew what
it was!"
"M-Maaaybe it has to do with the weeeird tooool the shopkeeper had..."
"What weird tool?!"
"It was shaped like some kind of hooook... They touched our stuuuff
with it! I wonder what it waaas..."
"It doesn't matter!" Gold-Hair shot back. "Right now we have to run!"
"Okaaay!"
The pair sped up as they ran down the backstreets. Neither one of them
had any idea that the pilfered goods had come from the Shadow King's
wagon train. Naturally, these were a mix of stolen items and magicallydisguised counterfeits. When they had brought them into the store to sell,
they were immediately revealed to be stolen goods. The duo ended up being
chased away by the guards.
You might be wondering how the clerk had been able to tell so easily
that Hero Gold-Hair and Tsuya's goods were illegitimate. At their rope's
end with the stolen items and forgeries flooding their markets, officials and
merchants in cities all over had begun to use an item known as a "Magic
Sensor." This was a hook-shaped tool with a magic gem set near its tip. The
magic gems contained a record of stolen items curated by the Merchants'
Guild of Klyrode Castle Town. It was automatically updated as the guild
received information about stolen items in any region. Moreover, the
sensors were equipped with the capability to detect inferior-quality items.
Overnight, these sensors had become one of the biggest forces restricting
the Shadow King's illicit activities. The shop Hero Gold-Hair and Tsuya
had chosen to fence their ill-gotten gains had also been equipped with a
Magic Sensor.
Blissfully ignorant of all this, Gold-Hair and Tsuya continued to run.
"H-Hero Gold-Haaair," Tsuya whined, "I don't think I can gooo any
fartheeer..." Gasping for air, she collapsed in on herself.
"Useless woman!" snapped Gold-Hair as he hurried to Tsuya's side and
swept her effortlessly into his arms, carrying her princess-style.
"Huh? Wha— Huuuh?!" Tsuya hadn't been expecting this. Her face
turned red.
"Hold on tight!" Gold-Hair said. "I'm not going to tell you again!" Once
more he took off, running full tilt. Tsuya wrapped her arms around his
shoulders, clinging tight.
Th-This is pretty niiice... she thought.
"Tsuya!" Gold-Hair barked. "You weren't thinking that this was nice,
were you?!"
"Wh-Whaaat? N-Nooo, I would neveeer..."
"Whatever! Tell me when you're rested enough to run! I'm not going to
carry you forever!"
"O-Okaaay!"
The two fled into the back alleys of the city.
◇Houghtow City—Fli-o'-Rys General Store◇
Belano, who had stopped by the Fli-o'-Rys General Store on her way
home from her teaching job at the College of Magic, stared intensely at the
Magic Sensor. "...Lord Flio made this?" she said, eyes full of wonder.
"Amazing..."
Standing next to her, Hiya nodded in agreement. "I can only agree. None
but the Exalted One could have created a device with so sophisticated a
functionality. And to produce so many in such a short time..." They gave
the Magic Sensor a look of approval.
Damalynas stood to their side, nodding fervently in clear awe. "A device
that lets commoners detect stolen goods, even though they can't wield
magic like myself or Her Divinity...or Lord Flio, of course. You know, if he
keeps making things even humans with no magic power can use... Well, it
would be a pretty big deal."
As the three had said, the Magic Sensors were in fact created by Flio
himself. He had heard a lot about the troubles caused by the Shadow King's
schemes and, characteristically, created a magic item to address the
problem.
Belano looked around the store, still holding the Magic Sensor.
"...Where is Lord Flio?" she asked.
"The Exalted One received an urgent request. He and her ladyship his
wife have both left to make a delivery."
"...I see." Belano looked disappointed. Still, without further comment,
she handed the Magic Sensor back to Uliminas, who was working the
counter.
"So tell me, Belano," Uliminas asked suddenly. "How about your
mewniversity?"
"How about it...?"
"Yeah! Is there a school store? Is there anywhere for the Fli-o'-Rys
Company to dig our claws in?"
Belano touched her finger to her cheek, tilting her head in thought.
Belano had originally enrolled in the College of Magic as a member of the
general public to study offensive spells, but when the College learned of her
genius with defensive magic, they offered her a position as a teacher.
Indeed, she was on her way home from just that job.
"Well, we have a cafeteria..." Belano said slowly. "But almost everyone
brings their own lunch...I think."
"So no school store, then." Uliminas confirmed.
"No..." said Belano. "The water's all-you-can-drink, though..."
"Hmm!" Uliminas made a note in her handbook. "Sounds purromising,"
she said. "I'll see if there's any way fur us to get in on it..."
Belano stared mutely at Uliminas. I miss Lord Flio, she thought, and
sighed. Flio was something of a surrogate to her for her dearly departed
father and elder brother.
◇The Dark Citadel—Throne Room◇
The Dark One Yuigarde sat on his throne, grinding his teeth and tapping
his foot. "Hey Phufun," he said.
"What is your wish, Master?" Phufun pressed her false glasses up on the
ridge of her nose and moved around to the front of the throne.
"When are we gonna be done restructuring the Dark Army? Are we still
not ready to attack Klyrode Castle?"
Phufun could see plainly that her master was in a bad mood. "No... I'm
terribly sorry, Master..." She hung her head, fidgeting awkwardly with her
glasses. "W-We've been demanding cooperation from the nearby demons,
but very few of them have actually come to the Dark Citadel..."
Phufun's words only served to further aggravate Yuigarde. Immediately
after he had seized the throne from Gholl—the former Dark One—Yuigarde
had led the entire army to Klyrode Castle as a show of his strength. With no
plan or strategy, however, Yuigarde was dealt a crushing defeat by the
Klyrode army which didn't hesitate to use traps or ambushes or any means
at their disposal to rout his forces. In the end, he had been forced to retreat.
Yuigarde was eager to launch another attack on Klyrode Castle to
redeem himself from the stigma of failure, but the Dark Army's losses had
been so great that its numbers were not enough to constitute another attack
force.
Yuigarde's minion Phufun had been seeking the aid of the surrounding
demons, but as Yuigarde had been reviled from the start for his arrogance,
and with his defeat provoking doubts as to his ability as a commander,
nobody was terribly eager to follow his banner. Indeed, some had even risen
up against the Dark Army, declaring themselves to be the true Dark One.
Yuigarde grumbled as he glared down at Phufun from his throne. He was
fully aware of the rumors that he had alienated the local demons. All the
more reason, in his mind, not to talk about the matter any further. "Let's
leave the local demons out of this for now," he said. "What are the Infernal
Four up to?"
"Master, the Serpent Princess Yorminyt and Hugi-Mugi the doppeladler
are both occupied with suppressing any demon who declares their
independence from the Dark Army. Sleip the lichsteed is engaged holding
back the Klyrode army at its most important key location. Each and every
one of them is busy with indispensable tasks."
Yuigarde screwed up his face. "The dragons, then! Call the dragons!" he
shouted in rage, rising from his throne. "Why haven't they been doing
anything? Send the dragons to attack Klyrode Castle!"
"M-Master," said Phufun, "I'm afraid you're confused. Most of our
warriors in the legion of dragons were killed when they were sent after that
ridiculous human."
"What?! But there are some dragons left, right?! Send them to attack!
They're our strongest fighters!"
"But...many of the survivors were grievously injured... They're still
recovering..."
"Who cares if they're hurt?!" Yuigarde slammed his fist into Phufun,
sending her flying straight into the wall. "Call the dragons!" he shouted.
"Someone! Now!" The demons who had been on standby behind his throne
rushed out of the room.
Meanwhile, stuck in the wall of the throne room, nose bloody and
cheeks red, Phufun was muttering to herself between passionate sighs.
"Aaah... Master Yuigarde... Such power... Such devastation... I could ask for
no higher reward..."
Perhaps it should also be said that Yuigarde's minion Phufun was a
masochist of the highest degree.
◇The Dark Citadel—The Dragons' Den◇
If the strongest soldiers in the Dark Army were the Infernal Four, the
strongest unit was the legion of dragons. The legion of Dark One Gholl's
time had been the mightiest in history. The mere mention of their name was
enough to overwhelm the humans of the Klyrode army with sheer terror.
Right now, the massive underground hall built for the legion of dragons
was nearly empty. Just a year ago this place had been filled with hotblooded dragons clamoring and sparring and making a constant uproar, but
half their number had been lost near the end of Gholl's reign when the
legion of dragons set out with Uliminas to attack Flio and were instead
obliterated. Even the survivors of that expedition had returned with
grievous injuries that would take a long time to heal.
The demons Yuigarde had sent looked around the cavernous Dragons'
Den with an air of unease. "Hey," one of them said, "what do we do now?"
"There has to be someone here..."
"I remember Phufun saying that she had recruited an independent
dragon..."
They were at a loss, looking around aimlessly, when a girl appeared
behind them.
"And you are?" she said. It looked like she had just returned from
somewhere. She was wearing an oversized cloth draped over her body, with
nothing underneath except a simple pair of shoes. Whenever she moved,
she revealed a flash of bare skin. She looked young except for her chest
which was quite developed. The demons had a hard time tearing their eyes
away from her exposed body.
"W-We need to talk to the dragons... Are they not here?"
"Mmhmm?" said the girl as she made her way into the Dragons' Den.
"You're talkin' to one. Whaddaya want?"
"What?!" said one of the demons.
"You—" said another.
All three of them looked bewildered, but as the girl walked past them,
they could see a large tail sticking out the back of her cloth, marking her as
some sort of dragonewt—partial dragons who could take humanoid form.
Her tail trailing on the ground as she walked, the girl made her way to a
giant cushion in one corner of the den and plopped herself down. When she
did, her cloth flew up around her head for a second, giving the demons an
eyeful of her naked body, including her oversized breasts. They turned red
in unison.
"It's Wyne," the girl said. "I'm a wyvern." She took a chunk of meat out
of the bag she was carrying and began to chew greedily. It looked like she
had obtained this chunk of meat from the Dark Army's mess hall. Right
now, the whole of her attention was on her meal. There was something
charming about how she sat there, stuffing the meat into her cheeks like a
squirrel and straining herself to chew. At least, it put the demons at ease
enough for them to remember why they were here.
"O-Oh, right! We come with orders from Dark One Yuigarde!"
"He wishes for you to attack Klyrode Castle at once," pitched in another.
Meanwhile, Wyne had already devoured her hunk of meat. She looked
miserable, like the world was ending. "Hey..." she said, seemingly ignoring
the demons' orders. "Is this really all I get?"
"Huh?"
"That succubus lady told me I'd eat my fill every day if I joined the
Dark Army..." Wyne looked mournfully into her empty sack as her stomach
rumbled loudly, announcing her hunger.
Aiming to reconstitute the destroyed legion of dragons as fast as
possible, Phufun had expended every effort in scouting likely dragons from
everywhere she could. However, thanks to her master's famous military
defeat and his legendarily bad personality, she couldn't find a single dragon
who would agree. Not a single one, that is, except for Wyne.
"I'm hungry," she had said. "I'll do it if you feed me." Phufun agreed
and welcomed Wyne into the Dark Army—her sole success. Wyne,
however, had a monstrous appetite. She wouldn't be satisfied unless she ate
portions equivalent to a meal for twenty or thirty humans. Not only that, but
she was constantly demanding snacks: "a light meal before breakfast," or "a
light meal after breakfast." Basically, she preferred to be eating in
perpetuity.
Phufun was flooded with complaints from the food staff over the sheer
volume of food Wyne ate on a regular basis. Once, the Dark Army procured
most of its foodstuffs through pillaging human communities, but with Flio
and his companions stopping their raids left and right their food situation
was growing more dire by the day. Faced with this reality, Phufun had no
choice but to restrict Wyne's rations.
"Fooooood..." moaned Wyne, teary-eyed. The three demons were at a
loss, until one of them struck his fist to his hand.
"I know!" he said. "If you can destroy Klyrode Castle, surely the Dark
One Yuigarde will give you all the food you could ever want!"
Wyne shot to her feet. "You mean it?!" she said.
"Y-Yeah! Probably!"
"Right. Gimme just a second." Without missing a beat, Wyne hurried
towards the middle of the room. As she walked, her body transformed,
growing larger and larger until she became an enormous wyvern. Both her
body and her great wings were a dark crimson, and in places red and black
flames flickered to the surface from somewhere deep beneath—she was
awesome to behold.
The demons stared up at her glorious visage with wide eyes full of terror
and wonder. "I-Incredible..."
"Really is... I never could have imagined..."
"Fooooood!" the dragon bellowed. She took flight, breaking a hole in
the Citadel's ceiling as she shot out through the roof.
The demons stared after her in shock. "W-Well, she looks incredible..."
"Wait...did she say...?"
"C-Come on! Don't lose your nerve over something like that!"
◇In a Forest◇
Wyne was in a forest, lying facedown on the ground and not moving an
inch. "So hungry..." she muttered. Her stomach growled in agony.
Wyne had set out from the Dark Citadel in high spirits, but after days
and days of (to her) meager rations, her strength gave out and she
plummeted to the earth, landing in a forest. Without the energy to maintain
her wyvern form, she had reverted to her humanoid shape and lay there,
unable to move. If only some carnivore might come, attracted by her scent,
she might devour it and regain her strength—but the beasts stayed clear of
her, fearful of her lingering draconic miasma. She had been prohibited from
leaving to hunt while in the service of the Dark Army, and her hunger now
had never been greater.
"If only I could have eaten my fill one more time before I died..." she
murmured softly to herself, and closed her eyes.
◇ ◇ ◇
Sniff sniff...
Sniff sniff sniff...
A delicious scent drifted through the air and into Wyne's nose. Still
unconscious, she began to sniff. The scent stimulated her brain, which
began to reboot. She opened her eyes. Before them was an enormous chunk
of meat.
"F-Food!" she cried, reflexively sinking her teeth in.
"Hey!" Flio cried, startled. "I mean...are you awake?" Flio was holding
on to the end of the skewer of meat Wyne had latched herself on to. Wyne
seized the meat from Flio's hands and took it into her own, chewing noisily
as she launched herself fully into stuffing her cheeks.
Flio and Rys smirked as they watched the wyvern go at it. "You were
collapsed on the ground, mumbling about food," Flio said. "We got that
ready in case you were hungry..."
"It seems she was quite hungry indeed," added Rys in an aside to Flio.
She glanced over at him, a wry expression on her face. She had been the
one who hunted a magic beast for its meat and cooked it in a simple oven
made of piled rocks.
The couple were on the road that day fulfilling an urgent order from
Klyrode Castle. It would have been a simple matter for Flio to teleport to
the castle directly, but Flio preferred for only the Maiden Queen and a few
others in Klyrode Castle to know that he was Banaza the failed Hero
Candidate. He wanted to take every precaution against arousing suspicion,
and so he teleported a believable distance away from Klyrode Castle—out
of anyone and everyone's sight—and began moving towards the castle in a
less dramatic manner.
While they were walking through the forest, Flio detected the faint
lingering miasma of a dragon and followed it to find Wyne and nurse her
back to health.
"I was so hungry I thought I was going to die," said Wyne as she started
on her fourth enormous chunk of meat. Flio watched with a patient tightlipped smile as she ate and ate and ate.
Flio gently placed a hand on Wyne's shoulder and conjured a small
magic circle which vanished into her back. She isn't injured, Flio thought as
he checked her status, and she doesn't seem to be particularly ill... I guess
she really was just starving. Flio patted the small slender girl on her head.
Wyne seemed to enjoy the touch. She rubbed the back of her head into
Flio's hand as she ate. "Thanks, dada." She smiled brightly up at him.
Rys heard. Still holding a skewer with a hunk of meat on the end, she
marched over to Wyne. In her rage she had lost control of her
transformation, her wolf tail and fangs visible as she spoke. She brandished
the skewer like a sword. "Excuse me, young dragon, that man is my
husband. Dada is not an appropriate—"
"Thank you...mama," said Wyne, smiling up at her happily.
"M-Mama?!" Rys's face turned bright red.
"W-Well, if dada's your husband...that makes you my mama..." It didn't
seem possible, but Rys's face turned redder still.
"Oh, I can't understand this child..." she said, clearly flustered. "Well,
do you want more meat? I'll cook it up for— Oh! You ate it all already!"
Rys turned back into a great wolf. "My lord husband," she said, "I shall
hunt us another magic beast." She ran off into the forest without waiting for
a response.
Flio watched Rys go and then turned his attention back to Wyne. "Hey
dada," she said, "are you gonna keep on giving me food?"
"Food, huh...?" The word called Flio's mind back to the pitiful state
Wyne had been in when he found her, starving and on the brink of death. It
doesn't look like she has anywhere to go... he thought. I get the sense she's
been mistreated too...
"Well," said Flio, "how about this: you help out with our shop, and we'll
give you food. Food and a salary. How does that sound?"
Wyne spasmed with excitement. She looked up at him with earnest eyes.
"Really?" she said.
"Yes, really," said Flio.
"Really really?" asked Wyne.
"Yes," said Flio. "Really really."
"Really really really?" Wyne rejoined.
"Y-Yes, I promise, okay?" Flio said with his usual calm smile.
Wyne looked deep into Flio's eyes. "Hm... Okay." She shoved the last
bit of meat into her mouth and stood up. "Gimme a second." She sprouted a
pair of dragon wings from her back and took to the sky. Airborne, she
completed her transformation into a wyvern and flew off north.
◇Dark Citadel—Throne Room◇
The Dark One Yuigarde knit his brows. "Huh?" he said. Before him was
the wyvern Wyne who had just returned, back in her humanoid form but
still with her wings out. "Didn't you say you were going to attack Klyrode
Castle? Well?!" He was shouting. He seemed to be in a terrible mood.
Wyne seemed to give the matter a moment's thought. "I did," she said,
"but I changed my mind."
"You 'changed your mind'?! Who told you you could decide whether or
not to attack?!" Yuigarde stood up from his throne.
Wyne shook her head. "I changed my mind...about the Dark Army."
"What?!"
"You never give me food. I hate you!" Wyne stuck out her tongue and
blew a raspberry at Yuigarde, then flapped her wings mightily and took to
the sky. She transformed into a wyvern, smashed through a window, and
flew away.
Yuigarde ran after her, coming as far as the broken window. "W-Wait,
you rat!" he shouted. "Who said you're allowed to quit?! You're not! I
don't allow it! Heeey!"
But Wyne was already gone.
Phufun, incidentally, had lost consciousness, was still stuck in the wall,
and had nothing to contribute to this conversation.
◇In a Forest◇
"Oh, there she is!" Rys was in the middle of cooking the fresh meat she
had hunted in her stone oven when she saw Wyne flying high in the sky at
top speed towards them. She turned to face her and waved. The meat inside
the oven had just reached its perfect doneness, and Wyne descended on it as
if she were pulled in by the smell, turning back into her humanoid
dragonewt form in midair.
As she did, the cloth covering her fluttered up in the wind, exposing her
naked body completely.
"Excuse me, young lady!" Rys cried, blushing. "Are you not wearing
anything under that cloth?!"
"Nope," said Wyne, sticking her hand into the oven to retrieve a piece of
meat. "It gets in the way."
Rys hurried behind her. "That won't do! That is not proper attire for a
young lady!" She took one of her spare sets of clothes out of her Bottomless
Bag and tried to force Wyne into them.
At first Wyne had refused. "No!" she said, "clothes are all stuffy!" But
Rys had insisted in the strongest possible terms.
"If you won't wear this, I will give you no more food!"
Reluctantly, Wyne put on the clothing. She came back wearing shorts
and a thin-strapped tank top, squirming uncomfortably. "Is this enough?"
she said.
"Yes, that's enough," said Rys. "Now come and eat." Permission
granted, Wyne took more meat and began to cheerfully stuff her cheeks. "I
hunted lots of magic beasts," Rys continued, smiling fondly at the girl, "so
feel free to pick out your favorites." True to her word, there was a veritable
mountain of magic beast carcasses behind her. Wyne's eyes lit up and she
nodded eagerly.
Seeming to suddenly remember something, Wyne stopped eating and
walked up to Flio. "I quit my job," she said. "Lookin' forward to workin'
with ya!" She bowed politely.
Flio gave her his business smile and held out his hand. "I'm certain
you'll be excellent," he said. Wyne, however, had already gone back to
eating. Her head was lowered, her focus on nothing but the meat she was
devouring. Flio's proffered hand went completely unnoticed. He smirked.
"My lord husband," Rys said, "do you know where this child worked?"
"No clue. I haven't gotten around to asking that yet. But it seems like
she wasn't being fed."
"What?! That's absolutely terrible! I would like to have some words
with whoever is responsible."
◇Dark Citadel—Throne Room◇
"Wa-ker-choo!" The Dark One Yuigarde sat on his throne and let out the
most undignified possible sneeze. "Hey!" he shouted, sniffling as he spoke.
"What the devil was that?! Someone talking about me? Huh?!"
"Still, that dragon punk really did quit out of nowhere, didn't she..." he
grumbled. "Not ready to attack the castle, putting down uprisings
everywhere... Why can't something just go right for a change?"