Walking behind Nfirea's carriage in a formation around the vehicle were Titania and Elise. It had been some time, and it was already noon. Although walking did not tire her at all, it was becoming boring.
Truth be told, it was a fairly peaceful place. Titania knew that most living beings were inferior to her in terms of physical characteristics, so she could feel mostly relieved during these journeys.
She raised an eyebrow when she heard Peter speak.
"Titania, from here on, the road will be more dangerous as we venture further in."
The woman nodded, and while avoiding encounters was the best option, she also wanted a target to not only test her abilities but also the enhancement effects of a support like Alicia.
Although she had cast a Level 3 enhancement spell before, it was mainly to Demonstrate to others that she was indeed a sorceress of that level. However, compared to her more potent enhancement spells, it was insignificant.
Despite others finding a Level 3 spell impressive, Titania knew it was nothing that amazing… So if they ended up catching up with something of a higher level... Titania looked at Elise and whispered to her.
"If we don't find something that requires spells higher than '3rd level,' you are allowed to use up to a Level 5 spell. But only to enhance me." She explained to the gothic girl accompanying her.
"Understood. I will do that, Bl-Titania," she responded with her depressed voice in a whisper.
"Don't worry, gals. As long as there are no surprises, it will be simple. And with me keeping an eye on the area, nothing will catch us off guard."
"Ah... Yes, I suppose..." Titania exclaimed with an almost invisible sweatdrop falling from her forehead. Elise could be seen clearly irritated.
"Enough already, Luke... Forgive my friend…" Peter said embarrassed by his companion's behavior, to which Titania raised a hand, dismissing the apology.
After several minutes of continuing at the same travel pace, Nfirea spoke.
"From here on, it's the territory of the Virtuous King of the Forest, so we should be fine, unless we are incredibly unlucky, hehe."
Black Abyss raised an eyebrow, looking back at Nfirea.
"Virtuous King of the Forest? What kind of ruler is he?" She asked the boy, who laughed a bit before answering.
"He's not a ruler per se. He's a powerful monster."
"Huh. So a powerful monster..." Titania said with a somewhat interested voice, although not much, then looking at Lukeluther, who had turned around, looking at Alicia.
"Hm~ If I do my job properly, would the beautiful Elise change her attitude towards me?" He asked to the air, as if thinking out loud, although clearly not the case.
Elise made a displeased face mixed with sadness as she turned her head to the side. Lukeluther made a 'broken heart' gesture, making his companions laugh a little at the situation and a little out of embarrassment.
"Listen, guys~ There's no need to be so cautious~ With me here, we're all safe under my watch~ Just look at the beautiful Elise; she's so calm~"
She made a displeased face while growling softly.
"Your presence only displeases me... It's Titania who is the reason for my calm state more than anything else, annoying rat…" She exclaimed annoyed, although she calmed down after Titania looked at her and gestured with her hand for her to calm down.
"Eh~ Is that so~? Could it be that you two are actually a couple~?" He comically asked, to which Elise for a moment widened her eyes, composing herself and speaking then.
"... You... How could I...? A simple useless maiden like me wouldn't deserve such an honor..." Elise said almost frozen, with a disturbed and depressed look as she looked at the ground, almost crying with trembling knees.
"Elise..." Titania said her name almost with a growl but stopped, sighing a bit and putting a hand on the gothic girl's head, patting her. "Ahem. Enough. Our relationship is not that of a couple." Titania exclaimed to Lukeluther, then looking at Peter.
"Enough, Luke... You're bothering them too much," Peter scolded the Ranger with a furrowed brow.
"Ah... Sorry, sorry, just kidding, hehe..."
Lukeluther noticed the not-so-sad look Elise had while putting her eyes on Titania. Undoubtedly, even though they were not a couple, they had a relationship of mutual respect that was very difficult to achieve normally, which made him smile a bit. After all, it meant that at least one of them was single.
Titania put her hand under her cloak and rummaged for something while walking. She pulled out a few sandwiches from there in a shiny silver packaging. She took one and put it in her mouth, while grabbing another and offering it to Elise beside her.
Alicia seemed somewhat nervous about the offer, clearly wanting to politely decline, but before she could say anything, Black Abyss offered it to her again with a brow gesture, making her unable to do anything but take the sandwich and start eating it silently with a tear hanging from her eye practically.
Although Black Abyss didn't care about eating from time to time, Titania's food was undoubtedly one of the best things there, so she could pack several things before leaving with Alicia.
After a while, they had finished the sandwiches, and they had covered quite a distance.
"Something is moving." Lukeluther said seriously.
Titania looked to where the Ranger pointed, while others discussed, she already saw the monsters emerging from there, and raised an eyebrow somewhat doubtful.
They were Goblins... And Ogres... Undoubtedly, the Goblins were exactly as they were represented in all fiction series she had seen, whether anime or manga, although the Ogres were somewhat different, she could still recognize the species by their appearance and clearly superior height, maybe 2.7 meters or more.
Although the number of Goblins was high, maybe 15, and the Ogres were quite large and intimidating, Titania simply took a step back.
"What a smell..." She sighed.
She walked to the side, coming out from behind the carriage and positioning herself between the monsters and the vehicle.
"Titania, how should we divide our forces?" Peter asked her, looking at her, and she responded quickly.
"I would appreciate it if you protected Nfirea. I usually take the front row alone; let me show you how easy I can defeat them." She exclaimed confidently, giving a thumbs up. Peter seemed to hesitate for a moment, but clearly Titania's confidence had infected him as well.
"Alright, we'll try to give you the maximum support without compromising the formation." He said with a smile, to which Titania simply nodded, walking forward enough to separate from the group.
The group of adventurers quickly began planning a way to prevent the Goblins from escaping, juggling and strategizing, Demonstrating that they had some experience in this field.
The Iron Rank team then saw the two women walking forward. Titania in front while three Ogres charged towards them.
They were undoubtedly worried about them, but then Titania clenched her fist and positioned herself to strike, and when one of the Ogres got close enough, she threw her punch.
The Ogre's body instantly split in half vertically in a circle due to the powerful punch given by the woman, leaving everyone present totally amazed.
Titania then unsheathed her sword, which shone under the sunlight, undoubtedly a magical weapon to the onlookers.
Two more Ogres quickly approached Titania. One of them launched a powerful attack with the trunk in its hand, but Titania simply ducked.
The trunk managed to touch the hood and uncover the face of the Adventurer, but that was the last thing the creature saw before the silver sword pierced it diagonally, cutting it deeply and causing it to end up cut in half.
Titania rushed towards the remaining Ogre at great speed, kicked its legs, and as it fell, made an upward cut, cutting off the creature's head.
The woman in white then looked towards the carriage; it seemed the Goblins had tried to attack, but the group was skillful enough to overcome them and keep Nfirea safe.
Titania then looked at the two remaining Ogres.
"Elise." She called the name of the beautiful woman behind her, indicating it was her time to act.
She nodded, and just walked sorrowfully towards the Ogres, who, seeing her, assumed she would be an easy target due to how skinny and weak she looked compared to Black Abyss.
Whispering, Alicia activated an interesting spell from the ones her creator had chosen for her, which was the only spell of a level higher than 3 that she was allowed to use.
[Lucifer's Shining Lie]
A spell made to simply confuse an opponent about the true nature of the abilities of a dark divine magic user.
And she pointed a hand towards one of the Ogres that had come too close, raising its club made from a tree trunk to crush Alicia.
"[Holy Light]" (Corrupted Light)
At the spell's chant, a bright and white, almost blinding light, emerged from Elise's hand, completely bathing the Ogre.
The light disappeared as quickly as it came, showing that where there was once an Ogre, now there was a giant pile of charred and blackened meat, staggering backward with no trace of life.
Seeing this, the other Ogre retreated, understanding that Alicia was incredibly strong in another sense. It tried to turn around to flee in panic along with the few Goblins that managed to hide, but was interrupted by another spell.
"[Sunlight]" (Sun Shadow)
At the spell's chant, another blinding light, only more yellow, bathed the Ogre, engulfing it in an incredible light (darkness), causing it, like the other Ogre, to be completely charred and carbonized when the light disappeared.
Titania's companion turned around with a sad, almost regretful and pitiful look, and walked silently towards Black Abyss.
"Good job~" Titania said, even sounding proud of her.
Alicia only responded with a slight bow as a nod. She wanted to kneel and thank as much as possible for such kind words, but she had a role to play, so she preferred to keep it more 'normal.'
Titania looked around, and it was nothing more than a field of Goblin and Ogre corpses. The small group that came with them had handled the situation well with the Goblins, although now they were looking at her, quite surprised after finishing their own fights.
Not only had they seen Titania's immense physical power, but also the powerful spell that Elise used to reduce an Ogre to ashes, and moreover, she did it twice.
Without a doubt, they were not only stronger than they had said, but they had exceeded all the expectations of The Swords of Darkness and Nfirea.
…
The time continued passing, and eventually, they found themselves in the need to set up a camp as the night approached.
She resisted working on it; if it were up to her, she would spend the entire day lounging around and eating. However, being in this place required her to act as someone who knew exactly what she was doing at all times and in all places, a high-ranking Adventurer from abroad, one who was now driving stakes into the ground.
With a single strike, she drove the stakes into the ground repeatedly, quickly finishing the task. It had to be said that her strength was extremely useful.
Then, Black Abyss went to get the ropes to tie the stakes, sensing someone approaching. There was no problem for her; after all, it was Elise, or Alicia for thy friends.
"... Titania, is it really okay for you to do such trivial, dirty, and degrading tasks? Wouldn't you prefer this servant to take care of it...?" Elise said mournfully. "I should turn those humans into low-level undead and torment them for eternity just for suggesting that you do such dirty and inferior tasks..." Despite the content of her words, Alicia continued speaking with a sad tone.
"Pfu~ Don't say those things, Elise~ We are Bronze Rank Adventurers, the lowest rank. It would be strange if we didn't know how to do these things. By accepting their request, all I'm doing is showing that we know how to do this too. It will help create an image for them, one that we are not just girls who came from a golden cradle but have everything we have through hard work." Titania adjusted her guards, and with that, she was done, able to turn towards Elise. "Besides, I can say that all Supreme Lords have done this type of work at some point in our lives. It's not degrading if you know its importance~ Supremes wouldn't have become who we are if we hadn't done these kinds of tasks in our early days~" Titania explained to Elise with a smile.
Elise didn't respond, only lowering her gaze a bit.
"Moreover, in Titania, these tasks are also performed. I understand that the problem isn't the work, but for you, it's the humans~" With a bit of humor, Titania said to Elise, tapping her with her finger to lift her head. "It's okay, Elise~ I appreciate your concern~ And even though we may not agree on many things, I appreciate you for all of this~" Black Abyss said, patting Alicia on the head.
She only trembled slightly, with an expression even sadder than before.
"I-I appreciate your kind words, Titania. I am not worthy of them, but I swear to serve you and Lady 'Nyx' with even greater fervor..."
Black Abyss smiled and turned around.
"That's the spirit!" She exclaimed before going to where the group was, finishing the camp shortly after Titania, who approached with Elise following behind. "I've finished with the stakes and the rope. Is there anything else?" She asked, drawing the attention of the five present.
"Ah, thanks, Titania. Ninya." Peter called the young man, who nodded and stood up, walking towards the stakes.
Titania raised an eyebrow when he saw him perform magic, approaching him curiously and looking down thanks to the height difference.
"What spell is that?" Black Abyss asked from above, startling Ninya for a moment, who turned around to look at her.
"A-Ah… It's the [Alarm] spell. If anything touches the ropes, the spell will alert us to that." He explained, somewhat nervous after the scare, but returning to normal quickly as he turned towards the enchanted ropes.
"Elise, can you do that too?" She asked her companion.
"... No, Titania. I'm not familiar with that spell... In any case, I specialize in 'Divine Magic.' So spells from more arcane or elemental branches are not abundant in my knowledge."
"Although it's not in mine either..." Titania murmured, then looking towards the enchanted rope. "So in this part of the world, there are spells that didn't exist in ours. It's good to know that. Ninya." She called the young man again, who looked at her with curiosity. "Do you think you can teach us that spell?" The young man made a nervous smile for a moment.
"Eh... You're greedy, Titania. Even with your strength and speed, you want to learn magic... Still, it's not something I can teach you in a few minutes, not even in days. For magic, a connection with the special world is required, only obtained through true talent." The young man explained, a drop of sweat fell from Black Abyss's forehead when imagining what Elise might be thinking about what the boy said.
"Well, I think she can." Lukeluther said from the camp, while lighting the stove. "These two beauties have more potential than anyone I've seen. They are not like us or anyone else; there is something inhuman about them." He said jokingly but with a touch of seriousness in his words.
Black Abyss turned slightly to look at him. It couldn't be possible that he knew that the two of them were not human. There shouldn't be such a possibility since they hadn't shown anything beyond biologically established norms… Or perhaps… The power they had shown declared such a thing...
"What do you mean by inhuman? Is there something weird about us?" Black Abyss asked Lukeluther, who looked at them and laughed slightly.
"I'm not talking about your appearances. Although I'd love to talk about that all day. What I mean is Titania's strength and Elise's magical power. These are two things that go beyond what ordinary people can achieve." Titania then sighed, with the calmness that nothing had declared her original races.
"That's true. But we are not just potential, Lukeluther." Titania said, catching his attention. "This potential had to be worked on, polished, and forged to reach the point it is now. And still, I feel that I haven't pushed myself enough. Someone talented who exploits their potential to the fullest is the one who achieves true strength. An example of this is Stronoff, whom I aspire to defeat." The Paladin declared, surprising those present.
The reaction of The Swords of Darkness was the same, surprise. Both by the depth of Titania's words, her aspirations, and saying that she hadn't even finished increasing her strength.
If someone like her said that she still hadn't reached a higher level of strength, and that even then, she wouldn't stop training and seeking to increase her power...
Even Nfirea, who listened to the conversation from the side, could only look at Titania in amazement.
On the other hand, Elise just continued with her mournful expression, depressed, but showing some pride as she puffed her chest.
"Uh... Are you sure you're not a Heroine?" Peter said, looking at Titania, inspecting her body without knowing where she got so much strength.
Titania chuckled quietly, dismissing such appreciation with her hand.
"I may be strong, but I'm not a heroine." Elise then looked at her somewhat doubtful and spoke.
"Don't be so humble, Titania... You were the one who defeated the Black Diamond Dragon alone..." She said mournfully, going through the somewhat blurry memories she had of hearing her creator impressed talking with Perorin about how Titania killed that difficult Farming Boss completely alone once.
Black Abyss froze for a moment, while those present were startled by Elise's words.
Lukeluther choked on water while drinking due to surprise.
"A Dragon!?" Peter said amazed.
"Of Diamond...!?" Nfirea said from the side, equally surprised as the others. Titania quickly spoke.
"Ah... Y-Yes, I remember, jeje... Although it w-wasn't a Black Diamond Dragon, it was simply called that because it shone in a black color, jeje..." She excused herself quite nervously, although the Dragon was covered by a material even harder than diamond.
"T-That's not the problem; you killed a Dragon! People who achieved that can be counted on one hand!" Ninya said with a smile, seeming to be looking at an idol in front of him.
"Wah... How come you're not super famous?" Lukeluther said, drinking a bit of water after choking on the surprise.
"It's hard to believe, but from what we've seen, it's easily possible... It's really impressive." Dyne said with a smile.
"Jeje..." Black Abyss simply scratched her head for successfully passing that test of destiny without revealing any information beyond that Boss she once managed to defeat alone to get an item on the last day of the spring event when there was no one available to form a party and fight together...
Black Abyss sat down, and Elise did too. The impressed members of the group began to ask her many things about her adventures and achievements, increasingly convinced that they were facing someone who would leave a deep mark on the kingdom, a true heroine.
They talked a lot; it had gotten dark, and the food was ready. Everyone had gathered in a circle, even doing maintenance on their weapons. They didn't want to miss any of the stories that this heroine had from her distant lands. And so, dining together, they ended the night.
…
The Queen of Titania, Dont-Say-My-Name, sighed exhausted as she rested her forehead against the table.
The only consolation for her irritation and fatigue was the large amount of money she was making, especially with some tricks here and there that she had come up with.
Even though her mission was literally just to sell crap from her inventory and Titania's treasure, items so useless for anyone in Titania that they wouldn't even be worth selling due to the approximately 10 gold coins they gave in the Exchange Box, she had to be somewhat stingy to be successful.
Therefore, to some adventurers and/or merchants to whom she sold her items, she had sent Shadow Demons to steal a little extra money or the item she had sold them directly. She had even killed a couple of adventurers who immediately set out on an adventure with their belongings. The Hanzos were perfect for the mission, and they completely looted them, bringing more money to Dont.
Still, even if it was just the first night she spent in this city, she was already considering using a level 7 bomb from her inventory. According to her calculations, it had enough power to turn the city into an empty hole in the ground, which she would make sure to call 'The Great Canyon of What Happens When You Annoy Dont-Say-My-Name.'
Shaking off her genocidal thoughts out of frustration, Dont at least had the certainty that things were going well for her.
Sales and numbers were never her thing. She was always more interested in words above all else; reading, writing, or just speaking. That's why she spent most of her expensive career on something 'disappointing' and 'useless' according to her mother: history and literature.
At least it got her a position at a university, allowing her good income for telling rich kids about Earth's beautiful history, no matter how shitty humanity was at every moment of it.
So, between doing income calculations and things she left to a Hanzo, she enjoyed much more simply making reports to send to Bachelory or reading the ones he sent through different Shadow Demons.
She played with a gold coin, finding some satisfaction in having already made a small fortune in almost literal gold.
If it weren't for the fact that the coins were mostly another metal coated with fine gold. She didn't have any complaints really, she understood the efficiency of doing that rather than making coins of pure gold.
Even on Earth, it was hard to get so much gold despite the thousands of super-mines around the world, and it was even harder to afford it.
Her boredom continued to escalate as she spun the coin, with the Dullahan now being her direct bodyguard while the Dark Hero Armor took care of watching outside, at the door.
However, a small whisper in her ear caught her attention.
She listened with vague interest, expecting to hear a report of success in stealing some stuff or discovering certain documents or something. Or even hearing news about Zach's plans.
But she frowned upon hearing the report.
"Necromancers?" Certainly, she did not expect that.
According to this Shadow Demon, there was a group of Necromancers deep in the E-Rantel Cemetery, along with a woman who almost discovered it but didn't seem like a Necromancer at all. It was because of that woman that she had to withdraw immediately.
Certainly, if there was a good place where a Necromancer could hide, it was the large cemetery.
E-Rantel was a border fortress, so it used to have many dead. Therefore, it had a huge cemetery. But having so many accumulated dead released negative energy, leading to the creation of Undead.
A Necromancer could have a feast with so much negative energy and free Undead to control. At least for a low-level one. According to a Hanzo, the negative energy there wasn't really that imposing, and even a mid-level ability of Dont could replace such negative energy with demonic energy in an instant.
But there were indeed some Necromancers there... With a woman strong enough to detect a Shadow Demon. So, it could be interesting.
It's not that Shadow Demons were so difficult to detect in the first place. A level 40-50 player with enough perception could detect them without even trying in most cases. If a level 30-40 specialized in perception or something similar, they could easily detect the Shadow Demon just the same. But the creature specialized in stealth above all, so even then, it would take a bit to detect it correctly.
Dont hummed. She could go herself. She had two Mercenary NPCs with tank classes and several hidden assassins. But there were several potential problems.
She might encounter something unexpected. Maybe the woman was Level 100 and pretended not to detect the Shadow Demon completely. The Necromancers could also be high-level, and so on.
Of course, a good explosive shot level 10 and goodbye most summonings, but it wouldn't guarantee the death of the Necromancer, and she was sure it would eradicate E-Rantel with it.
Therefore, the best option for now was to keep a low profile.
She would leave this to Black Abyss first if the opportunity arose. She would send a Shadow Demon to inform her. Unfortunately, the woman had left the city several hours ago, so by the time the Demon reached her, the situation might change.
Dont hummed again, and she gave her order in a whisper.
The Shadow Demon nodded and disappeared again into its camouflage, leaving the room.
Something interesting might happen soon... Or not, and Dont was condemned to an existence of boredom, annoyance, and homicidal thoughts in this city for the next few days.
…
Continuing with the sunrise journey, the same defensive pattern around the carriage and Nfirea had been established, with Black Abyss and Alicia positioned behind the carriage observing everything that unfolded.
Everyone conversed amicably, and it seemed that the discussions from the previous night had fostered a sense of unity within the group, along with great respect for Black Abyss.
"What are you saying, Ninya!? How could a Dragon appear here!?"
"Still, Dragon stories around here are a myth..."
"Anyway, if one were to appear, we have a Dragon Hunter here."
Everyone nodded, feeling much more confident than before, occasionally breaking formation for a few moments before Peter reprimanded them.
"Ah, Titania." Black Abyss looked towards the young man driving the carriage when he called her, Nfirea.
"Yes?" The young man cleared his throat for a moment before addressing her again.
"You told us some amazing things last night, but it's very strange that we haven't heard of you. What nation do you come from?" He asked the woman, receiving a strange look from Elise at his side.
"Uh… Right, well. I'm under contract and oath, I can't reveal any information about my nation and leader," Titania replied.
"Oh... I see... I was just wondering, if your nation is so distant, you must have very different things; cuisine, leisure, or even different plants and methods for potion-making. Like a pharmacist, I'm quite intrigued." Titania raised an eyebrow upon hearing him speak nervously, realizing that something was amiss, and she took note of it.
"It's quite normal for a kingdom separated by a continent and an ocean from another to be so different, but as I said, I can't reveal anything, neither can Elise."
"I-I understand, I apologize for the insistence," Nfirea said with a slight bow, which Titania dismissed with her hand, but it was evident that he was being overly confident. Nevertheless, everyone looked towards the village becoming visible in the distance.
"Hm? And what's that small barrier?" Titania asked, to which Nfirea shrugged, looking somewhat nervous.
"I don't know... It wasn't there the last time I came..."
"As a border town, it might be normal to create a palisade or a barrier to obstruct any monsters trying to enter, especially considering the proximity to this forest... In fact, it might be strange that it's not big enough." Peter added with a slight furrowed brow, cautious.
"True... But the village never had problems with anything coming from the forests... It's protected by the Virtuous King of the Forest, so it was never necessary for something like that, really..."
Black Abyss looked to the side of the village, half of the crops were harvested; there should be activity, but she had been here no more than 2 days ago. She felt irritated, thinking that something dared to attack the very village she saved and turn it into its base...
"Let's continue; I'll go ahead now." Black Abyss said aloud, drawing the attention of Peter, who looked somewhat doubtful but understood that she was serious, so they changed positions.
The carriage continued to advance, now with Black Abyss in front, ready to face any attack coming from the now slightly fortified village with tall sticks and obstacles, with one of them being the crops, covering much of the visibility. Nfirea looked quite worried... And confused, as the log wall was decorated with paint, banners, and colorful items.
Arriving at what seemed to be the gate, Black Abyss raised her hand, causing Nfirea and the others to halt their march.
And a second later, a small explosion was heard, alerting everyone... Followed by a harmless shower of colored papers and music from an accordion and pianola.
"Welcome to the marvelous Carne, travelers!" A voice came out of nowhere, while several figures emerged from the uncultivated wheat.
Dressed in colorful clothing, tight or loose-fitting. Jester hats or pointed hats, or simply crowns made of flowers or colored papers.
The creatures ranged from short sizes like one of the Goblins that attacked them before to as tall as Ninya.
Their limbs were slender but not weak, but what stood out the most were their heads. With red and bright eyes with multicolored pupils, sharp teeth, and what seemed to be white makeup on all their faces, or skin that looked like makeup, with more makeup acting as blush or shading or eyeliner in some. With horns from small to very large and long, like hooks or cones.
They were undoubtedly Demons.
However, despite there being one with a black top hat in front of them at a decent distance, various Demons dressed in colors could be seen with throwing knives, Molotov cocktails, daggers, and some bows. In addition to several Demons with colorful balloons with targets around their small bodies.
"State your intentions, please~! If you are peaceful, you are more than welcome~!" The Demon with the top hat said, acting like a good show presenter, with a clear voice and somewhat deep, but clean and easily audible and attractive.
Black Abyss, in front of the carriage, sighed, and in a loud voice spoke.
"Elise, a shield, cover the entire carriage, keep everyone inside except me." She instructed the woman accompanying her.
She sadly nodded, chanting a '[Holy Circle]' and a '[Light Shield]'.
Black Abyss instantly drew her silver sword, pointing it at the Demon who had spoken.
"Circus Demons, why are entities like you here?" She asked seriously.
Nfirea was surprised and spoke, "D-Do you know them!?"
To which Black Abyss nodded.
"They are summons, but from my land... So, answer. Who summoned you?"
The Demon with the top hat just burst into charismatic laughter.
"You shall not worry! We've been called by the Mistress of Ceremonies~! The Lady-!"
And then, from among the walls, a girl appeared, shouting.
"Kalos! Is everything okay!?" The blonde girl shouted worriedly, with two female Demons dressed as curvaceous circus tamers and taller than their peers at her side, with whips at their waists.
"Enri!"
"Ah~! Lady Enri~! How opportune~!" The so-called Kalos said with joyful charisma, turning around and looking at the girl with a wide smile full of golden teeth.
Hearing Nfirea's shout, the young woman responded with a voice that sounded like they were good friends, full of kindness and warmth.
"Nfirea!"
Even so, the tall woman in front raised a hand, stopping Nfirea from getting off the carriage. She lowered her hood, and Enri was greatly surprised.
"Lady Titania!?" She said with a trembling voice, blinking several times as she looked at Black Abyss, as if she couldn't believe it and wanted to make sure it wasn't an illusion.
"Perfect~! Guests then~! Open the gates, boys~!" Kalos ordered with excitement, while the other Demons that had surrounded the group sheathed their weapons and only laughed as they performed acrobatics to climb the wall, with the wooden gates opening.
…
"Wh-What!? Covert soldiers from the empire caused a... Massacre!?" Nfirea had listened attentively and with great sadness and anger to what had happened, the death of Enri's parents, the murder of many others, and how she was almost killed too, although her story continued.
"Yes... But... It was thanks to Lady Nyx, Lady Titania, and Lord Arthur that we could survive... Lady Nyx saved me from a couple of knights... And Lady Titania healed a wound... And they saved the village from the knights... Although they couldn't save my parents..." She said with melancholy, almost crying. "And anyway, I still have my sister, that's why I can't let myself get depressed like this." She said while wiping away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.
Nfirea began to reconsider the entire purpose of his mission... He had hired Titania for something that wasn't really noble, nor was it a crime, but... She was truly a heroine, along with someone named Lady Nyx and this Lord Arthur, they saved Carne, and more importantly for him, Enri...
"But Nfirea... Why are you with Lady Titania...?"
Faced with the question, Nfirea hesitated. He didn't know that Titania was so important as to be one of the saviors of Carne Village. Should he tell her why he had hired Titania...? Or just avoid such a thing and say what seemed plausible to others...?
"Um... Well, since the adventurers I usually hire weren't available, I hired her after hearing that she effortlessly lifted and threw a Silver-ranked adventurer across the room in a tavern... It was totally by chance."
Enri smiled then, although her face still looked sorrowful.
"That's good... Even Lord Stronoff recognized Lady Titania's strength. It's good to have someone like her looking out for you..." Nfirea was surprised at the mention of that name.
"S-Stronoff? G-Gazef Stronoff was here?"
Enri nodded with a smile.
"Just like Lady Nyx, Lady Titania, and Lord Arthur, Lord Stronoff came to help us, although... If it weren't for them, Stronoff wouldn't have arrived in time..."
Nfirea could barely grasp the number of powerful people who gathered in one place. Moreover, it should be little short of a miracle that all these beings of superhuman power came together not only in that place but at that exact moment, and one of them was here... Outside... He had been with her all this time, trying to extract her secrets... He felt extremely guilty about it.
"They are very kind and gentle despite all their power," Enri said with a broader smile now. "Even in Lady Nyx's immense generosity, she gave me a couple of items... One with which I summoned Kalos and his circus troupe..." She said while showing the Goblin General's Horn she still had. "This is the other, but I still don't want to use it... I feel it would be a waste, and with Kalos and his group, we have more than enough anyway." Then she looked forward and spoke again. "Lady Titania is very strong. She is Lady Nyx's bodyguard, and supposedly she is stronger than the summon she carried. Even Lord Arthur referred to her with respect and devotion, it's as if she were the Gazef Stronoff of their kingdom." And taking advantage of having mentioned that name, she continued with the other individual. "Lord Arthur also, he protected us while Lady Nyx, Lady Titania, and Lord Stronoff fought all night. He even saved Lord Stronoff and gave him first aid, gave him a potion that healed him instantly." She recalled with a smile those people. But then Nfirea was startled.
"Was it a red potion!?" He asked aloud in surprise, realizing his mistake and correcting himself. "I-I'm sorry, I'm a pharmacist, and all the potions we make turn blue... What effects did that red potion have?"
"Oh. It healed him instantly! He didn't have a scratch, absolutely nothing, it was as if he had used magic. Don't you know that potion?"
Nfirea just remained silent. Everything Enri told him... An item capable of keeping summoned creatures indefinitely... A red potion that instantly heals any wound... Easily saving the village from an attack...
"I see... I guess I'll have to thank Lady Titania for her generosity... And about this Lady Nyx and Lord Arthur... What kind of people are they?"
"Oh... You don't know them? I thought Nfirea might know who they were..." Enri said somewhat deflated.
Nfirea just nervously sweated while coughing lightly.
"Regardless of that... Considering their strength, they must be very popular people..." Enri murmured, almost dreamily.
"E-Enri? W-Why do you want to see those people...?" He said nervously, remembering a conversation he had the night before, by the fire and the adventurers he hired.
And the existence of a man in the group of Enri's saviors, one who was described with such nobility and gallantry, did not calm Nfirea's nerves at all. Fearing the worst, he almost wanted to shout at Enri for a direct answer, but he knew that would be the last thing he could do.
"Huh? Well, I want to thank them properly... Especially Lady Nyx, who saved us from the knights herself... The villagers suggested building a small bronze statue of her and her knights to remember that they saved our lives, and I wanted to thank her for that too."
Seeing a lack of 'love,' as far as Nfirea could tell, he relaxed with relief, almost like an illusion to himself.
"Oh, I see, erm... Right! I need to thank Lady Titania directly." Nfirea said with realization. That woman literally saved his beloved from a horrible death.
However, such a feeling of gratitude was generating a great deal of self-loathing and regret. And to think that he wanted to use Titania in such a way...
If he were to be compared to any of the three saviors of Enri, Nfirea definitely seemed selfish and despicable...
Surely Enri would prefer a man like that Arthur guy over him...
The thought settled in his mind, making him sigh in self-reproach as his self-esteem plummeted.
"Are you okay? You don't look very good."
"Uh, yeah... I'm fine, just thinking about something..." Nfirea reflected, trying to find something that justified his actions.
From fulfilling his initial mission to discovering Titania's red potions, which could save many lives and even improve his grandmother and Enri's long-term quality of life.
A depressing abyss of comparison between him and any of Enri's three saviors, especially Titania due to their personal interactions, and Arthur for being such a chivalrous man, began to consume Nfirea, leaving lasting marks on his heart.
"What's happening? You look weird."
"Oh, yeah. It's nothing." Nfirea smiled falsely again, trying to make Enri forget the matter. Obviously, from her expression, it didn't work. "... What should I do? Enri hates people who hide their shameful affairs, right?"
"Before being called before God, we all have things we keep secret in our hearts. Especially things that would bring misfortune if said. But if keeping these things secret causes misfortune to other people, that would be different... I don't hate you for this, so no matter what crimes you've committed, it would be better if you surrender to the authorities."
"... N-No, I didn't commit any crime." Nfirea stammered, confused by Enri's conclusion. But such confusion... That she came to it in the first place, only increased Nfirea's depression and collapse of self-esteem.
"Eh? ... Oh! Yes! That's right! There was no way Nfirea could commit any crime! I trust you completely." Enri laughed more relaxed, almost as if it had been a joke.
"I have to thank you for that... You make things easier in certain ways. I'll work hard to become as good as them..." (To be able to hold my head high and tell you that I like you. That I love you.)
Faced with Nfirea's determination, Enri only smiled courteously, albeit confused.
…
"Absolutely no pulling out a confetti bomb and throwing it at my feet expecting me to jump..." Black Abyss said to one of the summoned Circus Demons, who slowly hid the sphere they had in their hand behind their back in response to her warning.
She sighed and looked at the supposed leader.
"What did you say your name was?" She asked the Demon.
"Yes~! As such, I have no name~ And I'm just a simple Imp from the Circus Troupe~ But Lady Enri gave me the name Kalos at the suggestion of these rascals~!" The Demon said playfully, pointing to the other Imps who laughed merrily.
"If I'm not mistaken, you must be summoned using an item. Where is that item?" With her serious tone, Titania asked Kalos.
"Well, my lady~ It was consumed to summon us~!" Kalos said as if he were saying something amazing, extending his arms to the sides. His sharp and thin claws, like elegant fingers, were definitely something Dont would appreciate for aesthetic reasons... And to think that these things were more annoying than they already were now that they were real...
Black Abyss kicked to the left, hitting a ball and sending it towards the face of one of the Demons, where it exploded in glitters and dust, while all the other Imps laughed at it.
"Hmp." Black Abyss simply turned around and approached Alicia. "Take note of all this, she gave him that item, and it seems to work exactly like in Yggdrasil, but they are much more annoying..."
"Of course, Titania," Alicia said indifferently to the Imps' antics.
Black Abyss then looked to the side, toward the village. There were several villagers in rows. Some with throwing knives and darts in their hands, and others with bows.
Imps could be seen helping them aim at targets with balloons on them. Other villagers were practicing fencing while an Imp used a balloon-shaped sword.
Everyone was working to become stronger... She could even see other Imps making some kind of soup in a very large cauldron.
Black Abyss then looked to the opposite side, there was something behind one of the houses... She walked there and leaned against a nearby tree, as if resting.
"Do you have a message?" She said, as if speaking to the shadow of the tree.
The shadow seemed to move strangely, moving toward Black Abyss's ear.
A whisper was heard in her ear. It was a call to a meeting at a location just arrived.
Finishing the message, the Shadow Demon withdrew with a bow that wasn't even seen, and turned around to go back where it came from.
Elise approached Black Abyss as usual, while she simply sighed. She hadn't even finished, and she was already calling meetings...
She stepped away from the tree and, followed by Elise, returned to the central area of the village, returning the greetings of those who only recognized her by her bright external appearance.
She looked again at the targets being shot with arrows, until she saw one hit the target.
She hummed curiously, in approval.
She kept walking and looking around. They had rebuilt most, maybe all, of what had been destroyed when she arrived, even building more things, like the log wall that surrounded the village as an obstacle.
Obviously, she could tell that the Imps helped a lot because of how colorful the buildings were, and all the circus decorations were everywhere. Even the stable was now a circus tent.
And although against the same group of Theocracy such a thing would be useless, they could undoubtedly say that now, at least, they could minimally defend themselves.
"Hm?" A sound caught her attention. Looking back, it was Nfirea who was running towards them, quite tired despite the short distance; they were just on the other side of the village, although she wasn't going to criticize him for that.
But his face looked worried.
"Is something wrong, Nfirea?" Black Abyss asked him somewhat hesitantly.
"L-Lady Titania!" He was a bit surprised that he suddenly spoke to her with so much respect and in a slightly loud voice. "T-Thank you for saving this village, no... For saving Enri... Thank you for saving the girl I like..."
"Oh..." So that's what it was about. She had the idea that these two knew each other based on their conversation the night before, although she didn't expect such emotions, much less that Enri told him everything that happened just as they arrived... Still, Black Abyss nodded in acknowledgment and showed her smile at Nfirea's gratitude, who had given a deep bow to her. "You're welcome~ You can lift your head."
"To be honest... L-Lady Titania, there's something I've been hiding from you..." Black Abyss raised an eyebrow at this, while Elise looked at Nfirea cautiously.
Nfirea swallowed a bit of saliva before continuing.
"Lady Titania... The potion you gave to the woman in the tavern... It's impossible to create using normal methods and is very rare. A-And I... I wanted to know what kind of person had that kind of potion and find out the method to create it, that's why I hired you for this job. I'm so sorry..."
Oh... So she was hired not for the feat she did but for the low-level potion she had delivered as compensation...
Black Abyss sighed for a moment, which seemed to worry Nfirea a bit, until she spoke.
"It's okay, no problem really. It's a business after all. But that potion is a secret from my land, I can't hand over the formula or anything like that." She affirmed to Nfirea, who smiled seeing that he hadn't angered her.
"You're really kind..."
Black Abyss gave a somewhat embarrassed smile at the situation; she still wasn't entirely used to being idolized, but it's not like she was going to reject such a thing.
"T-That's all. I just wanted to give you my most sincere thanks for saving this village and Enri. Thank you very much!" The young man said seriously to Black Abyss, who nodded her head, showing her smile, and after receiving another thank you from him, she simply watched him leave the place, much better than when he was coming to them in the beginning.
"Hm. That was interesting. So he has already started looking for a way to replicate the potion? Hm..." Black Abyss stood there thinking, looking around while waiting for the others to get ready to continue the mission.
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Name: Nyx Morgause (Look at Authors Comment~)
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