***Somewhere in Equality…***
The news of the Church's call for a crusade against the city of Montserrant spread like wildfire. At once, cities with varying degrees of 'loyalty' towards the Golden Hammer professed their intent to join the holy war, or declare their neutrality. Those who wanted to 'break away' from the Church didn't show their contempt for them outright, but decided to observe the events. Crusading dwarf lords and ladies outfitted their private armies and converged at Hemelin to join other crusaders. Ordinary dwarves also flocked to the holy city, lured by the promise of adventure, their sins forgiven, as well as the prospect of gaining wealth from plundering Montserrant.
The city of the Cole Miners' Guild is prosperous, after all.
Nevertheless, even with many of Equality's workforces joined the war, there was a big shift in the economy of the dwarves, as cities and guilds began to prepare for conflict, and profit from it.
Montserrant, even at the middle of the war, became busy extracting ore from their mines. Their metal was prized in all Equality as it was used for making vehicle parts, and their planes needed those components. Stones quarried as the miners dug deeper into the mountains were made into blocks for building defensive bulwarks, airstrips, and repairing those that were destroyed in the earlier dogfights. The excess would be traded to friendly cities, in exchange for food, ammunition, and money to keep the city defenses up and running.
For Hemelin, the 'crusade' was also a boon. Crusading cities from all over the land would send their contingents to the holy city, boosting the sectors of their economy dealing with tourism, like the inns and taverns. Their industries were also in full working mode, as their workers had to churn out planes, weapons, and armors for the war effort. And with the revanchist policies of the Church's leadership, they would spare no expenses in whipping up support and increasing recruitment for the crusading armies. Thus, the media industry saw their services used for disseminating information and propaganda.
Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, the diplomats from Montserrant made their move. Sent by Queen Paula herself, they were given the task to 'convince' the other city and guild leaders to join their cause, or stay off from the conflict. And they were also tasked to 'share' their new religion to them. The threshold was relatively low; for every city that was convinced to join their side, or maintained neutrality for the duration of the war, it was a win for Montserrant and the Cole Miners' Guild.
"What, so you are telling me that this new god you're espousing wouldn't impose religious taxes?"
"Yes, milord. On the word of his saint, the Lady Seirna Stephanie, there will be no taxes for us if you accept her god."
"How we can be sure about this?"
"Look at our city, milord! Her Majesty the Queen Paula accepted her new god, and we're zealously fighting for its survival and existence," the messenger pointed out. "If we're lying to you, then we'd surrender to the Golden Hammer now instead of preparing to fight! We will never risk our lives and our wealth in a losing gamble! After all, this god is still untested, and the Golden Hammer has already proved his worth to us before!"
"What are your terms again?"
"Our queen asks that your city provide her with aid; pilots, planes, anything that can help us win, counting on the times we also came to help yours. Or if you find her requests too daunting to do, then we beseech your wisdom to declare neutrality, swearing never to pick arms against us. After this conflict is over, the Lady Seirna Stephanie herself will reward everyone according to their contribution."
"You seemed so sure of winning, messenger!" one of the leaders commented. "Personally, I like that confidence; but as an official of this city, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of our citizens."
"Milord, with all due respect, your servant has already witnessed the power of this holy saint, granted to her by her god, the Lord Kuro," the messenger countered. "Our martial wisdom—passed from the days of old up to the present, says that taking on an airship is foolhardy. Yet, the Lady Seirna destroyed many of those with just a slash of her sword! If you refuse to believe my words, you are always welcome to our city, milord! Ask our people of what they've seen!"
"And…we get to kick the ass of our bishop?"
"Yes, milord."
The leaders of the dwarf city exchanged doubtful looks, for it wasn't the first time they were promised that. Still, the offer of 'no religious taxes' rung into their dwarven hearts—no matter how times they already heard such pledge, and the promise of 'sticking it out' against the Church they hated sweetened the deal.
"Alright, messenger! Tell your queen we will send a contingent to join your fight! Montserrant and Tavren will stand together!"
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***The city of Montserrant***
Paula burst into the room where Seirna stayed, flashing before the holy lady the reports of their 'conversion' efforts. "Your Holiness," she beamed, "there are cities that finally joined us!"
Seirna took the reports from her hands and read it. With a sigh, she told the miner queen, "Even with these numbers, your forces won't be enough for a drawn-out conflict."
The smile on Paula's face disappeared, "What do you mean, Your Holiness? Surely, you won't abandon us!"
"Cease the thought!" the Overseer Saint rebuked her. "Have you not realize I can see through your heart, thus, I know your concerns? Such thoughts are an upfront to us, Holy Saints; I will never abandon you, your people, or your city. However…"
"Yes, Your Holiness?"
"Hmm…" Seirna paused for a bit, seemingly deep in thought. However, she stood up and took the miner queen's hand, much to the latter's surprise. "I think it's best if you would come with me instead!"
"Ha? Wha—" Queen Paula hadn't finish with her words, but the Overseer Saint would never wait. She cast her teleportation spell, and off they disappeared in a flash of light.
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***The Holy Palatial Garden, Chersea…***
Crates upon crates of bolt-heater guns, as well as its ammunition, sat on the courtyard of the Saint's Palace, guarded by the members of the Human Saint's Paladin Corps. Adding to their number was the holy lady herself, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth, and her paladin captain, Sylvia Henristone.
"Her Holiness the Lady Seirna sure is late," the paladin captain commented after glancing at her hourglass. "I thought she'd be here after the long sleep?"
"Ah, you'd never know what's going on back in Equality," Maddie replied. "And in war, you need to have room for any possibilities."
"Well, it's true, Your Holiness…" Lady Henristone nodded, acknowledging her liege's prior experiences as one of Nerfes' generals from the conflicts before the Saint's Peace. Still, she couldn't help but worry; the Head Maid, and the Duke of Maverny were in Equality, and the news of a big war coming weren't a good 'insurance' that everything was going fine.
"No worries, Your Grace," Maddie reassured her. "It's Kuro we're talking about. And Princess Lilyhaven is no pushover, too."
"But Your Holiness," there was a little smirk on the paladin captain's lips. "Admit it; you're also nervous."
"W-Well…of course, I am," the Human Saint admitted. "Bu-But…worrying won't do good for me; l-last time I worried too much, it didn't end well for Chersea."
Lady Henristone said nothing.
"Oi! At least comfort me, or something!" Maddie blurted out. The paladin captain laughed instead.
Just as they were killing time teasing each other, Seirna arrived. The paladins quickly stood in attention, in reverence for their esteemed visitor. The Human Saint and Lady Henristone approached to welcome her.
"By the way, Lady Rubinforth," the Overseer Saint pointed behind her. "I brought someone from Equality."
Maddie and Lady Henristone looked towards where Seirna pointed, and they saw the dwarf miner queen, Paula, standing behind. Overwhelmed by their presence, the miner queen bowed immediately, though it was more because of her embarrassment than of sheer reverence.
"And pray, Your Holiness, who is this person?" the Human Saint asked.
"Your Holiness!" Paula never dared to raise her head. "I am your servant, Paula Cole, queen of the Cole Miners' Guild and of the city of Montserrant. While I am a former follower of the fake god, the Golden Hammer, I am now your most faithful worshipper, of the Lord Kuro whom you represent."
Maddie's eyes immediately fell on Seirna, as she was bewildered by what she had seen in the Miner Queen's mind. However, instead of explaining herself, the Overseer Saint averted her gaze and walked towards the crates as if nothing happened. Seirna 'opened' her thoughts so the Human Saint could read it…
Just go along with me…
So, Maddie officially welcomed the miner queen. "Your Majesty," she began, with the Lady Henristone showing one of the items in the crate. "These are the weapons Her Holiness the Lady Seirna requested from me. Yes, these are demon weapons—we call these 'rifles' now—an invention of the Lord Kuro. As we all know, your armies are equipped with war hammers and battleaxes. However…" She gave the signal to the paladin captain, and Lady Henristone shot at one of the targets they placed nearby.
"!!!" The miner queen was impressed by the accuracy of the gun. One shot, and it literally shredded the 'head' of the target, which wore a helmet.
"With these in your armies, no one will stand in your way," Maddie added.
Paula inspected one of the crates, and much to her surprise, she saw the symbol etched on the boxes. "These are…"
"Yes, it's of demon make," Lady Henristone confirmed. "You see, Your Majesty, while we and the demons have a bad history, it was through the guidance of the Lord Kuro that he brought us humans, demons, beastfolk and elves together. So, what is before your eyes is the product of that cooperation: the expertise of the demon industry, the resources of the beastfolk and the elves, and the ingenuity of the humans."
"Wow…so this is the world where everyone worships the Lord Kuro…"
"Worship?" Lady Henristone raised an eyebrow, but the Human Saint was quick to stop her.
"In any case, Your Majesty, by the request of the Lady Seirna," Maddie flashed her 'business' smile. "I shall give these rifles to you and your people for free. If you need anything else, please tell us; I'm sure we can furnish those for you."
The miner queen's eyes widened in shock. "Y-Your H-Holiness…these are…f-free?"
The Human Saint nodded. "Not only that; if you want food, clothes, or anything that is lacking in your guild, feel free to tell us."
"By the heavens!" Paula fell to the ground in worship. "I never seen such magnanimity in my life until now! I swear to you, Your Holiness, in the name of my forebears, that I shall forever serve your god!"
Likewise, the Lady Henristone was equally-astonished. "Wow, I never seen such reverence for someone just because they gave weapons for free."
Seirna whispered, "Never underestimate the greed of the dwarves. Even if it's just stones, they will accept those if it's given for free. We're just 'working' things to our favor and theirs; a 'win-win' situation. Isn't that how the otherworlder works?"
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**Kuro**
Honestly, my mind was in disarray.
"…"
I guess this was the moment when all the pent-up stress and frustrations finally burst out of me, and I just want to sleep for as long as I wanted. Nevertheless, our situation couldn't be ignored; while we're finally done with one of our goals (to find the whereabouts of the dwarf saint), the problem of escaping from Hemelin remained. And to be honest, I don't know exactly where was this place…though it was some sort of a run-down 'apartment' in the bowels of the mountain caverns, far below the urban districts of the greatest dwarf city.
This was where Lady Martelle led us to hide from our pursuers, since this part of the mountain was crawling with people she knew.
"So…what's your plan?" I asked the dwarf lady when she returned from her gathering information.
"The bridge to the next city is blocked by the temple guards," she revealed, citing her trusted 'people.' "As such, we'll have to move to another point out of this forsaken place. And as if that's not our only problem, the First Deputy Priest has called out a crusade against the city of Montserrant…in particular, the Cole Miners' Guild."
"A 'crusade?'" I blurted out, unable to hide my utter surprise. I mean, not only was that word 'awfully' familiar to me, I think it was also out of place. For one, I don't think the Golden Hammer was crucified to die for the dwarves' sins. And also, using that word in a place like this could pertain to an upcoming conflict…though I wished it could still be avoided, for we're threading on a thin line here.
Lily was also confused. "What's a crusade, Your Holiness?"
"A holy war," Lady Martelle replied. "Louis told me about it before, of how some people in Kuro's world fought against each other because they have different gods and religions."
The Iron Princess stared at me with interest. So, I told her, "I'll tell you about it sometime later, when everything's fine, and we've settled down." I also took the chance to ask the dwarf saint, "So we're heading into another war again, huh?"
She nodded, "Remember that time when an air battle occurred in the skies of Hemelin while we sneaked in? Apparently, the Cole Miners' Guild—led by their queen, Paula Cole—raised the banner of rebellion and attacked the city. That would also explain the supporters of the Church up in arms; they'd like to avenge the humiliation their armies suffered by the raid."
"Oh…" Lily and I exchanged glances; I think both of us had the same idea in mind.
"If you're thinking the Lady Seirna might've something to do with this, then we're all the same opinion," the dwarf lady revealed. "Of all the saints I encountered in the past, she's the only one I'm afraid of, and for a good reason, too. That holy lady's too sneaky, and scheming."
We could only laugh in silence. But then, Lily brought out a related concern, "When you say a 'holy war', Your Holiness, then that means the dwarves will be distracted by the upcoming preparations for conflict, yes? If so, we can exploit that and escape from here!"
"That's…the problem," Lady Martelle sighed. "We can't fool them."
"Huh?"
"Remember the lady dwarf who is the head of the security detail of the Golden Hammer?"
"Miss Farah Koh?" I told her. "She's only head of his security, yet she holds a great sway over the church, huh?'"
"Yes, that bitch! We can't help it; her guild is one of the biggest supporters and donors of the Golden Hammer," Lady Martelle nodded; though she smiled, she had this 'sardonic' expression on her face. "And she knew we have Louis with us; she'll stop at nothing to bring him back."
"He's dead," I reminded her. "We buried his body someplace in this underground city…good luck to her looking at the lava rivers underground."
"L-Lava?"
"Those you call 'melted soil. That's our term back in our world."
"Oh…" the dwarf saint shrugged. "Any case, she doesn't know that, and heavens forbid it, but we'll be more than dead if she learns that we killed Louis."
"Hey, you're the one who did it," I countered. "But then again, that's a promise between you and him! Who does she think she is to interfere in your wishes?"
"Girls who think they have a 'special connection' with someone powerful once they were given high positions…that's so like her!" Lady Martelle chuckled.
"Well, of course, that's a given, but then again, what business you have between you and the Lord Louis isn't her concern," I reiterated. "As for our situation, can't you just use your god-powers to bail us out of here, since you're the dwarf saint?"
The dwarf lady shook her head.
Of course, I was puzzled. "What's holding you?"
"Look, Kuro, there are a lot of things you should know about me, the Lady Helgath, and Louis," Lady Martelle answered with a hint of anger in her voice. "I will tell you all about it later, but we have to prioritize our escape out of this place!"
"That escape won't happen as long as you won't use your god-powers!" I reiterated, slamming the table out of my dismay. Lily was shocked by my gesture and tried to calm me. "We already buried the Lord Louis, and you have your god-powers back! Why don't we use it to our advantage?"
"That's because I'm unauthorized to use it!" the dwarf lady bellowed, much to my surprise. "Kuro, calm down for a bit, will 'ya? I'm trying to bail us out of here!"
"You're not…authorized?" it was Lily who asked that. "B-But, you're the saint, Your Holiness!"
Lady Martelle was visibly taken aback by her question, and was silenced for a moment. Yet, when she regained herself, the dwarf lady sighed, and said, "Hey, I know I said before that I'm the 'dwarf saint,' but really…I'm not."
"What?"
"I did tell you the Lady Helgath is sleeping from within me, right?" Lady Martelle reiterated. "What is the god-power of the dwarf saint?"
"Isn't it control over anything on land?" I replied.
"As well as what the land produces," she added. "And where do you think a mortal's body is made from?"
"From dirt, Your Holiness," Lily quipped.
"Wait," it slowly dawned on me. "Are you saying that you're the saint, yet, you're not? If so, then…if my hunches are correct, you must be a golem!"
"I knew you can connect the dots, Kuro," the dwarf lady admitted. "See, the Lady Helgath may be a giant, but she was a sickly one. The god-powers prolonged her life, more than the rest of her people, who disappeared not too long after the recent Human-Demon wars. And we all know that the god-powers depended on the acclaim and faith of the saints' people for it to be effective."
"The Golden Hammer stole those people's faith from her," the Iron Princess continued.
"Yes…" the dwarf lady nodded, though there was a poignant look on her face. "I can wield the god-powers with this 'fake' body, yes, and maybe, some of its vestiges may be effective on me…like the ability to read minds. Yet, if we want to fully use these abilities outside this place, then we have to restore the body—my original body—slumbering deep within these caverns."
"So, we have to go back to that temple, huh?" I asked.
"No," Lady Martelle countered. "Not until we gathered enough people to force the supporters of the church to allow us safe passage in the caves underneath the grand temple. So, if you'll ask me for recommendations, I'll have our group return to the Lady Seirna, and ask for her help."
"Ugh…" I massaged my temples; I could tell the gigantic effort I had to give again in this endeavor. "This is really quite a chore!"
"Heh, you wanted to become a god, right?" the dwarf saint's golem grinned. "Then, take it as part of your challenges to ascend. After all, the god-powers are not to be taken for granted; these are meant to be earned! That's what it means to be a god, after all!"
----------
***The chamber of Time…***
The attacks of the creatures from the Void intensified, barely giving the Lady of Time a breathing room in which she could rest. Successfully defending the spinning wheels, her thoughts were now focused on regaining her strength, for the dark miasma kept on encroaching, with a special attention given to the wheel where the Black God's 'remaining hope' lay. And Time was aware of the reason; Kuro was successful in changing his 'history,' often surprising her and the other deities for his 'bold' steps.
And all of those, with no knowledge of the consequences of his actions.
"…"
As such, the creatures from the Void must be trying to devour the world where the Black God would come. After all, it was not hidden from them that he was to destroy the 'Seductress'—their most 'successful' member yet. They were simply preventing that outcome.
"I will not let you!" was Time's battle-cry as she faced countless miasma tentacles trying to kill her. As her enemies attacked her from multiple directions at once, she raised her shield in an effort to block some of the tentacles, while her sword-arm moved to cut through the rest. However, the protection was not enough; a few of Void's limbs got past her barrier and wounded her. Time had to collect herself and rethink of her strategy to protect the spinning wheels.
The Lady of Time could count on the help of the High King of the Gods, should her defense prove inadequate. Nevertheless, she wanted to finish this by herself, thinking that the Black God entrusted her with his plans. While the High King surely would come to her aid, it was a matter of pride and love to her. She would honor the Black God by showing to everyone that she could do her duties well, that the unsympathetic Lady of Time before was no more.
"!!!" As the miasma tentacles renewed their attacks once more, Time lunged forward to meet them head-on. The other tentacles made flanking moves, intending to hit her from behind, but the lady cast spells that burned the miasma, all the while evading and parrying those that attacked her from the front. Still, for every tentacle she cut, two more would sprung up to hit her. And, as if to add to her woes, for every wound she suffered, the miasma was quick to suck on her mana reserves, that exhausted Time faster than she could replenish it.
But the lady dogged on. Even if she had to drag her feet, or lean on her sword, Time would never give up defending the spinning wheels. Not only Chersea's survival depended on her; other worlds relied on her protection as well.
"…"
The Void was persistent, however. It knew that the lady couldn't keep up fighting in a war of attrition, and thus, it whittled away her strength from the repeated attacks. Then, when the opportune time came, the miasma retreated from her and began to form into a dark figure…
"Time…" it called out to its enemy. "Time…why doth thou attack us?"
Time said nothing. The Black God told her before not to wait on her foes to get stronger, but her feet were failing her. It felt so heavy, she couldn't even move her toes. She was at the end of her resistance.
"Thou, thou whom didn't care ere, dare now to attack us?" (You, you who didn't care before, now dare to attack us?)
"I…I h-hope you're having fun fighting me," she replied.
"Thou are at the end of thy resistance…"
"It doesn't matter. The timeline of these worlds are mine to protect; it's been a while, but it's never to late to amend my ways!"
The figure only hissed at her; which amused the Lady of Time. At least, she could piss this creature off.
"We ne'r hurt thou ere, because we thought thou were only an observer. Yet now, things divers. we should'st hast doffed thou when we had the chance!" (We never hurt you before, because we thought you were only an observer. But now, things are different…we should have removed you when we had the chance!) The creature from the Void then screamed, causing the Chamber of Time to shake and some of the spinning wheels to fall.
The Lady of Time could barely stand. Supported by her shield and sword, she kept her defiance against the Void by merely putting herself between the spinning wheels and the darkness seeking to devour those. It was a weak defense, for her arms were tired from overuse, and her magic sapped by the wounds she suffered. Nevertheless, it was a powerful message against her enemy.
"Over my dead body," Time muttered between her labored breaths. "The Black God died fighting against your kind, and so will I…"
Summoning all her remaining strength, the lady resumed her attacks. Dropping her shield and disregarding her life, she parried a few of the miasma tentacles, but soon was unable to keep it up. Of course, the Void used it as an opportunity to finish her, piercing through her body and sucking what remained in her mana reserves. But Time, determined to at least land a hit, continued to close the distance between her and the monster. When her body was prevented from homing in, she threw all the magic she had on her sword, and hurled it towards the head of her enemy.
But she missed, as the Void merely moved out of its way. The loud clanging of her sword hitting the floor behind the creature resounded throughout the chamber, as if announcing that she failed miserably in her efforts.
Caught in the miasma tentacles, Time felt her exhaustion take over. Her mana reserves were spent, and her eyes were closing. No matter how her spirit yearned to fight back, there was no escape. The Void was victorious…
"!!!"
Before her enemy could gloat on her defeat, however, a blinding flash of light emanated from behind it. Time was barely conscious, but she witnessed how the sword she threw earlier came flying straight into the monster she was fighting, wrapped in a powerful magic only the High King of the Gods bore. Once the sword hit its target, the Void monster screeched in pain, before disintegrating on the holy power injected through its body. And just as she fell on the floor of her chambers, Time felt arms catch her, and healing magic flow through her spent body.
"Good work on holding the line, milady," she heard the gentle voice of the High King of the Gods. From the corner of her eyes, she saw other figures coming to her side…the angels and other gods and goddesses, all radiant in their holy armors and weapons, ready to defend the chamber from the encroaching darkness.
The Lady of Time smiled weakly…she had done her duty.