"And here, ladies and gentlemen, is the entrance to the forest~! Be careful, as there are some terrible beasts around~" Kalos said charismatically, laughing a bit as he finished guiding the group of adventurers and Nfirea to the forest entrance.
The edge of the forest seemed somewhat altered by the Imps, apparently to avoid or at least delay monster attacks or similar threats.
"With Titania and Elise here, there shouldn't be a problem." Confident and calm, Nfirea exclaimed in the presence of the demons, the Swords of Darkness, and the aforementioned women.
"Is this the territory of that Virtuous King of the Forest, right?" Titania asked Nfirea, who nodded. "In that case, if that creature were to appear, we will take care of it. I believe I can keep it busy enough for you to leave the forest." At her words, everyone present looked at her with admiration.
She didn't have much problem receiving praise, although when it was so constant, it could be embarrassing. She wondered how Alicia could receive such praise without showing much change in her expression.
"Keep in mind that we don't know the power of that creature. If it turns out to be as strong as I am, you should leave immediately, or you could end up injured as collateral damage from the fight." Black Abyss declared, to which Peter nodded and replied.
"Understood, we will take care of protecting Nfirea in the meantime, but don't push yourself too hard, Titania."
"Yes, in case it surpasses me, I will retreat before killing it." In the face of such words, Nfirea seemed quite doubtful, interrupting the conversation.
"Uhm… Titania... If the Virtuous King of the Forest were to appear, could you scare it away instead of killing it...?" He asked, somewhat worried about such a scenario. After all, the death of such a creature would have serious repercussions.
"Hm..." Titania seemed to think about it for a moment, and Nfirea continued trying to convince her.
"Its influence is what allows Carne to stand and not be attacked by monsters... If you were to kill it..."
"Alright, I'll do it."
"Huh!?" Everyone was surprised by the excess of confidence the woman displayed. Perhaps that was one of the effects of being so strong...
"I'll try to scare it away, but if that creature is too persistent, I won't have any other choice but to finish it... But I'll leave that as a last resort."
The present individuals smiled hearing her words.
They all seemed relieved in the presence of Titania along with her companion, and then, they decided to venture into the forest.
"Well then, we need to hurry. The herb I need is like this." Nfirea said, showing a sample to the 4 adventurers who would help him collect it. "Alright! Time to start gathering!" Nfirea exclaimed cheerfully.
"By the way, I want to propose something." Black Abyss spoke to the group, which looked at her expectantly. "I think we could do a rotating movement around you. Titania and I will enter the forest first and make increasingly larger circles while you can enter the safe zone. Usually, such a thing is recommended when there are more people, but I trust that my senses can alert me to any danger within this forest." The group looked somewhat doubtful for the first few seconds, but it was Titania and Elise they were talking about, so they could easily trust.
"It's alright, Titania, you can go in first." Peter exclaimed, making way for the women to pass.
They had to go quite deep, easily having passed several hours since then. However, they found nothing at all.
The lack of even enemies or common animals was beginning to bother Black Abyss, while the fact that she was looking for something became obvious to Alicia.
"Titania... What are you looking for...?" She asked the woman in front of her, who sighed as she looked around.
"For the Virtuous King of the Forest... I plan to fight it. I won't kill it, but I'll make it clear that I defeated it. This way, I will increase my fame and be able to improve our rank more quickly." She explained to Alicia, who spoke again.
"Didn't you prove enough for those humans against the Ogres?"
Black Abyss shook her head at such a question.
"Yes, but it's not a feat that has an impact for popularity. Instead, the Virtuous King of the Forest seems to be a creature widely recognized for its power and authority over this forest. If those adventurers return and talk about how I defeated the Virtuous King of the Forest and spared its life, then rumors will spread like wildfire."
Elise nodded after understanding what Black Abyss was trying to do.
"How will we find this beast, my la- Titania?" She asked the woman in white, who smiled and looked towards a tree, or rather, beneath it, at the shadow cast by the sun.
"Did you find it?" She asked the shadow.
The shadow quickly slid towards Titania's shoulder and whispered in detail in which direction the creature was. A creature that stood out among the others of low level. One that was sleeping in a cave.
"Perfect~" She said with a smile and opened her inventory, taking out a dark lance.
She held it in one hand and pointed it in that direction, using the pure power of her arm to shoot the weapon with measured and calculated force, causing a great commotion as it broke dozens of trees in its path.
"With that, I hope it wakes up..." Black Abyss murmured, changing her direction and heading towards where Nfirea and the others should be, finding them while pretending to be worried and somewhat out of breath, although she only walked a few moments. "Something is causing a commotion. It's better for you to leave now." Black Abyss said to Nfirea.
She also pulled out a large bunch of the plants he was looking for from under her cloak, or rather, from her inventory. She had found plenty of them while circling around them.
Although it was the Shadow Demons that collected them.
"Take these as well. It's not much, but maybe there are some that aren't that sample plant you gave me." Titania said, handing the bunch to Nfirea, who nodded, while the others discussed whether the instigator of such a commotion was the Virtuous King of the Forest.
"Anyway, Titania will cover the rear, right?" Peter asked her, and she nodded, then receiving a request from Nfirea.
"I ask you again, Titania... Don't kill the Virtuous King of the Forest. It's important for the village of Carne..."
"Alright, I'll just scare it away." She said confidently, seeing the glorifying looks she received, waving her hand for them to leave due to the heavy footsteps that were beginning to be heard.
When the group began to withdraw, and they were far enough away, Black Abyss drew her sword, seeing a dark silhouette among the trees.
With her hand, she brought Elise behind her. After all, she was the one with the most physical resistance.
She opened her eyes to see some kind of whip shooting towards her. It seemed to be composed of scales and was quite robust. She raised her hand and easily blocked the attack, while a loud sound escaped due to the impact. It seemed to be a tail made of hard materials, perhaps with the hardness of steel or similar. Still, her sword could cut such a thing easily.
She saw the tail retract and hide in the bushes, observing the movements of the tall plants as the creature moved among them.
"Alicia, just in case, enhance my defense." Black Abyss ordered. After all, that attack possibly should have been just to test its strength.
"[Cult's Will]" She sang sadly, using a tier 3 spell that vaguely improved defense against positive elements and area damage, as well as slightly improved resistance to mental effects.
She raised her sword and pointed it in the direction of the creature while resting the blade on her shoulder in a defensive combat position. Then, the creature rose, showing its large size while its tail moved behind, speaking to Titania.
"Impressive... You were able to block my attack; it's the first time someone has blocked an attack from this King..." It was a quite sharp voice... Perhaps caricatured, it seemed curious to Titania, but not for that reason was she going to underestimate it. "I could let you go if you run away; I'll do it for having shown such excellent defensive skills." The creature spoke again, in a superior tone, as if it saw inferior creatures.
Black Abyss smiled and spoke in response.
"Hmp~ Run away? Not at all, you're the one who will have to do that. Show yourself if you're so brave." With the intention of annoying it, she said, which seemed to irritate the creature, which took a strong step, making the ground tremble.
"How disrespectful! Very well, behold the majesty of this King!" The creature exclaimed, with its claws clearing the underbrush as its heavy body made the surroundings tremble as it approached. Black Abyss raised an eyebrow as that thing approached until...
The Paladin lowered her sword and looked at the creature with a lot of surprise. It had revealed itself to her in all its glory, showing its fat body, claws, and large, fierce eyes. It was...
"A hamster..." Black Abyss murmured to herself, while the Virtuous King of the Forest began to speak.
"Hahaha! That hood is useless for hiding that shock at seeing the majesty of this King!"
Black Abyss brought her hand back and scratched her head while a drop fell from her forehead...
She was… Somewhat hesitant about what to do... It was a hamster... A very large one indeed, but it was a hamster. How was she supposed to take it seriously...?
"One thing... How did you grow so much? The ones of your kind I know are... Much smaller..."
The creature seemed quite surprised at this, approaching Titania a little.
"Ha!? Do you know more of my kind!?" Titania nodded slowly at the question and leaned back a bit when the hamster got quite close. "Really!? Explain it to me! This King has an obligation to continue the lineage! Otherwise, I will have failed as a living being..."
A drop fell from Titania's forehead upon hearing the concerns of this being, although it was curious to her, she had never imagined talking to a giant hamster...
"Well... The ones I know are very small... I doubt you could even mate with an adult one. One could fit in my hand at most, basically..." The Virtuous King of the Forest seemed to get depressed at this, giving a big sigh.
"How sad... Is this King destined to live in loneliness for its entire life...?"
A drop fell from Titania's forehead at hearing the worries of this creature, although it was curious to her; she had never imagined talking to a giant hamster...
"Well... Perhaps... I don't know..." The puzzled Titania looked at Alicia behind her, who was looking at the creature with a bit of... Perhaps curiosity? Illusion? She had probably never seen a hamster in her life...
"It's enough... Let's end this conversation and start fighting to the death. Today you will be the meal of this King!" The creature said in an attempt to be intimidating, although the woman in white still had that doubtful look...
…
Nfirea and the group of adventurers had successfully exited, now watching the forest from a safe distance, waiting for Titania and Elise to emerge.
Although they began to worry... Birds were flying out of the forest as if something very serious was happening.
"Maybe... Is she really fighting the Virtuous King of the Forest there...?" Lukeluther asked somewhat nervously, to which the others didn't have an effective answer... But they shared the same feeling, a hope that these two adventurers would come out of there safely.
"Eh? What's that?" Nfirea asked upon hearing loud sounds coming from the forest. The adventurers went on guard, but were surprised when a creature of a grayish-white color with a very long green tail flew out from the tree branches, falling to the ground and quickly getting up.
"I-Is that...!?" Peter looked surprised at the creature, just like everyone else. A creature so intimidating, large, and fierce shouldn't be anything other than the Virtuous King of the Forest.
And then, they looked back to the trees, smiling unconsciously as Titania emerged from there along with Elise.
"You're strong, creature," Titania said to the Virtuous King of the Forest, which chuckled.
"Of course, this King is strong! And I'll finish you!"
Titania then jumped, landing in front of the creature, which looked somewhat curious to see her sheathe her sword.
"Oh? Have you given up already?"
Titania lowered her hood and smiled.
"Not at all, I'm just preparing for the main event." The Virtuous King of the Forest looked at her curiously as she approached him, entering his attack range with her claws. "A hand-to-hand combat. No magic, no spells. It's the greatest show of respect where I come from... We call it PvP... Person versus person. A duel where it's just the two of us and nothing else." Although she had made up a good part of that, as Yggdrasil's PvP was brutal, and if Black Abyss had really gone into PvP mode, this hamster would be dust.
However, the Virtuous King of the Forest smiled widely… Or at least the hamster equivalent.
"You have guts! Very well, this King accepts your duel!" The onlookers were concerned, but... They couldn't deny that they were eager to see a clean hand-to-hand combat between two such powerful beings. Perhaps they would never have the opportunity to see something like this again.
So, they didn't even bother to talk, focusing all their attention on simply watching.
Black Abyss raised her hand and was the first to attack, delivering a blow to the creature's stomach, making it retreat while giving a slight groan of pain. But then, Black Abyss was hit in the face by the creature's tail, the impact sounding like a meteor had fallen.
However, she showed no signs of injury. Just a bit dirty.
Black Abyss attacked again, this time directing her fist at the creature's head, which managed to dodge the attack while scratching her with its claws, looking quite surprised that its powerful claws had only moved the clothes Titania was wearing.
In its confusion, it received a kick to its face, making it fall backward but using the weight of its body to gain strength, giving a spin and shooting its tail toward Titania. Surprisingly, she stopped the attack with both hands, taking the creature's tail and using it to throw it to the other end of the area, slamming it against the ground.
Both creatures were demonstrating tremendous physical power, but it was clear who had the advantage.
Black Abyss shot towards the Virtuous King of the Forest again, closing her fist and delivering a powerful punch to its chest, which took the attack head-on, being shot to the ground but surprisingly getting up instantly. The amount of fat in its body could cushion Titania's 'powerful' blows.
After several minutes of exchanging blows, both looked tired, somewhat exhausted from giving and receiving blows of extreme power.
It seemed as if the entire forest was watching them, expectant to see what would happen next. Then, Titania clenched her fist tightly, and a faint vapor seemed to come out of her hand.
"It's that attack..." Peter exclaimed, the blow with which she killed the Ogre without even touching it, just with the pressure from her hand. Nfirea swallowed hard; perhaps... That attack could kill the Virtuous King of the Forest...
But the creature didn't back down. It raised both claws and was ready to make a final cut with all its strength, one that would definitely pierce the clothes Titania was wearing and hurt her.
"I grant you this, Virtuous King of the Forest, a blow with all my strength," Titania exclaimed with a smile. The spectators knew that this was going to be the last blow they both would deliver, and they looked at the creature when it laughed.
"This King will grant you a dignified death with its strongest attack!"
And then, the creature began to run on all fours towards Titania, making a powerful leap at the end, using all the weight of its body to increase the power in its claws to the highest possible point, an attack capable of cutting more than Mithril, one that absolutely no one had been able to survive.
But... When it was close enough, Titania's fist suddenly appeared on its face, hitting it head-on.
A violent burst of air shook the entire place as the Virtuous King of the Forest was sent flying into the forest at great speed, breaking several trees along the way.
Several seconds of silence passed, until footsteps were heard from the forest, and the Virtuous King of the Forest appeared again, still seeming dazed...
"Y-You... You are stronger than this King... I acknowledge it..." The creature said before falling to the ground, like a squirrel hit on the head by an acorn...
Perhaps...
Had it died...?
That was Nfirea's concern, but then he heard the sound of snoring. The creature had fallen unconscious after receiving such an attack.
Titania had done it; she had not only defeated the Virtuous King of the Forest but also did it without killing it.
The word to express themselves was only one.
"Incredible..." And its synonyms. The Virtuous King of the Forest had been defeated before them, and it was none other than a newly arrived Bronze Rank Adventurer, one who promised to become a great adventurer and perhaps a hero.
…
Dont couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to leave and drown herself in real food, not this garbage she was eating at the supposed 5-star restaurant/hotel in the city.
Of course, compared to the pills and flavorless paste she tended to eat on Earth due to the scarcity of organic food, or any organic matter for that matter, even a moldy bread was a delight.
But now that Dont had tasted the wonders cooked in Titania, this food that in her world would be the most luxurious of luxuries was tasteless.
It lacked salt, proper cooking, it was too dry... She didn't even know what she was saying, because the only time she had eaten meat on Earth was when her mother wanted to set her up with a guy she couldn't even remember.
The memory of eating that meat was nice. The only 'good' thing her mother did for her.
Such was the pride of the rich. She wanted to scold herself for sounding so 'snobbish,' basically, because she was 'disparaging' food that wasn't as luxurious. But it was inevitable. Even the humblest of the humble couldn't help but compare and feel disappointed with this food compared to Titania's.
Anyway, she forced the food down her throat while looking around.
Humans. Nobles, merchants, and bureaucrats. Laughing at their wealth while eating like hungry pigs with class. The hypocrisy in herself was almost funny, making her inwardly growl.
Some clearly looked at her... Both for her incredible beauty~ And for the presence of the Dark Hero's Armor by her side.
If she had to count how many times she had been looked at like that... She had lost count. She was getting used to it, but the disgusted feeling didn't improve at all.
Thus, taking one last bite, she stood up almost abruptly.
"Ahem. Zach..." Dont called to the side.
The unpleasant man looked at her in surprise, having interrupted his almost excessive meal... He had been taking advantage of her wealth too... A good bullet in his genitals would make him apologize...
No, no... She had to push aside the homicidal thoughts... She was still having issues with her demonic side, which apparently influenced her quite a bit.
Now, she was much more violent and arrogant than before. And that's saying a lot.
What was the name of this place? Something Golden Pavilion... No! Her thoughts were somewhat wandering with all the fatigue of dealing with humans lately... And with the notes of the changes in her due to being a Demon, Karma, or any possible variable.
"Ejem, I think we'll need to leave as soon as possible, tonight directly..." Dont said with a forced polite smile, but one that seemed natural to others.
"A-Am..." Zach almost choked. "M-Madam Nyx... W-Wouldn't you reconsider leaving immediately...?" The scruffy man said nervously.
"Mm? And why is that?" Dont asked with a slight frown, not because of the tone, but because they were questioning her order.
An order that was basically to avoid killing thousands of people out of sheer frustration. She was basically being kind and charitable, you could say.
"Uh... Well, it would be difficult for me to handle the carriage and horses during the night... And... I have some matters to take care of in this city... I need a little time."
Dont blinked for a moment, and then remembered Zach's function.
According to her Shadow Demons, the 'attack' on her was planned for tomorrow, as Dont was originally going to stay for about 3 days, not 2. But her patience was literally hanging by a thread along with her sanity, so it was either leave now or deal with the disappearance of E-Rantel in an explosion.
"Oh... Well... Unfortunately, I have some urgent matters that came up recently... And I must leave immediately to the capital to finalize them on time... If it's not possible for you to take me, then I'll pay you for your services today and look for another coachman who can do it..." Dont said with some kindness and understanding, but internally, she wanted to gut the scrawny bastard.
"B-But..." Zach weakly protested, moving his eyes everywhere and frowned slightly as he couldn't find a suitable excuse.
"Am... If you're still willing, my bodyguards will still take some time to load all the luggage, hehe... In the meantime, if possible, take care of what you need." Dont responded again understandingly.
Zach just seemed to keep looking for an excuse to delay Titania's queen, with Dont feigning ignorance with a friendly smile, which was trembling slightly due to irritation.
"Then... What time do we leave?" The human gave in.
"Well... I estimate in about 2 or 3 hours maximum. If it's too dark, it won't make sense anyway, jeje..." Dont faked a laugh. After all, she could hand the reins to her Dullahan, and that's it, as the creature had night vision as an Undead.
Zach's look didn't even have the decency to seem subtle in its malice, and after licking his lips, Zach replied.
"Hehe, then I don't think we'll have any problems~"
Zach turned around, ready to leave and do his own thing, things that Dont, much to her own dismay, had to keep an eye on, making a subtle hand gesture for one of her Shadow Demons to follow him.
The Queen of Titania sighed internally, maintaining the appearance of a slightly nervous noblewoman due to all the work she had ahead of her.
Truth be told, she wouldn't have any problems dealing with Zach. She could test how good a manipulator she was, how good she was at tormenting people, and many other experiments related to her sadistic or demonic nature.
Even some in Titania would be willing to play with Zach, like Eyesight, Superbia, or Carmellitean.
But with all the people around, Dont's plans, the mission of being a trader, and other things, it was almost completely impeding her.
Even back in Titania, if she brought Zach to torment him, there would be mixed opinions about it.
On the part of the evil ones of Titania, he would be seen as a lower and brainless creature who didn't even deserve Dont's time. On the part of the kind-hearted, it would be about forgiving him, letting him go, or just imprisoning him. And on the part of the neutrals, it would simply be a shrug and looking away to continue with their affairs.
Sometimes she was a bit bothered by the more 'positive' context of Titania compared to her ideal vision of a guild. One filled with evil and 'cool' creatures, although it made her feel like a teenager with the famous 'chuuni' syndrome she heard about, but she couldn't complain about everything. Besides, she had to admit that NPCs like Mariana were fun to create and watch. She was so cute~
And if she had to put Dont on any side of Titania, it was definitely on her dark side.
Dont had maximum negative karma. Not only because of her build, but because she loved the idea of evil. And even on Earth, she couldn't be considered good. Selfish at best.
She easily adhered to the Machiavellian ideology of human nature as evil and selfish. And even her morality had twisted between her life in the 22nd century, her mafia family, and the shit she had to do every now and then for the sake of her sister, and she wouldn't have a problem with killing someone even as a human.
However, she loved every part of Titania. From its plebeian Fairies to the darkest parts of the dungeons, to the kindest NPCs who didn't agree with her own ideas.
Dont would erase every fragment of this world, or unite it into a perfect utopia. She would do whatever it took for Titania. For the only thing she had.
The Demon Queen sighed slightly, even by force, she pushed aside the complicated thoughts.
She ran her fingers through her long hair, enjoying its softness and perfection.
"Having to leave at this hour must be a difficult decision for you..." A man spoke beside Dont, almost making her give a little jump and blow up the building.
"A-Ah~! Y-You~ Am..." Dont stammered, caught off guard immersed in her thoughts.
She recognized the merchant, but had forgotten his name. But she knew he controlled a large part of the city's food, so basically, he was a big shot.
"Lord Bardo Rofure, right?" Dont threw it out there, and by the smile on the man's face, it seems she hit the nail on the head. How cool is she~ To guess such an ugly name~
"Indeed, my lady. It's a pleasure to see you." He said while subtly checking Dont's face a bit too much, but it was inevitable~
Anyway, back to the cold thought, Dont wondered why a man of such social standing would be talking to a novice merchant like her.
And the mere fact that Dont was casually in the same restaurant was not an option. Did the guy want to hit on her? Well, she couldn't rule out the possibility…
But obviously, Dont wouldn't miss this opportunity. After all, even her mother praised her ability to seize opportunities, in a not very subtle attempt to make her part of mafia diplomacy or even get her into politics.
Bardo looked towards the exit where Zach left as he settled beside Dont, trying to ignore the almost murderous gaze of the Dark Hero's Armor, which was ready to decapitate Bardo if he got out of hand.
"That man is not good, Miss Nyx." Bardo said without games. "It is known that that guy is dishonest and someone you can't trust; I can't understand why Miss Nyx has hired someone like him."
Dont only let out a nervous laugh. She couldn't really tell him what she wanted to do with that ugly guy. Not only would she have to kill him, but she would look bad in front of all these people.
Besides, Dont obviously wanted to use Bardo for her future plans.
"Ah, well... As soon as I arrived, it was Zach who showed more enthusiasm than anyone else... Although it may seem a bit... Strange and sinister, I trust that his enthusiasm will help me with my initiation into this merchant career..." Dont made up anything to make herself look generous, humble, or something like that.
Bardo showed a bitter and worried smile, but at the same time polite and gentle, almost seeing Dont's kindness, which really didn't exist, in her words.
"I've overstepped, I hope you can forgive my opinion." Bardo apologized with a slight bow, but Dont just shook off the action, waving her hands.
"Don't worry about it. I appreciate the concern~"
Bardo smiled slightly, while showing a slight blush at Dont's smile and somewhat softer tone.
"Would you like me to recommend some reliable men?"
"Ah, you don't have to worry so much, Lord Bardo~"
"Please, just Bardo is fine."
Dont nodded with a slight polite laugh, already wanting to break her neck out of frustration. Having to deal with lustful men who wanted her was always irritating… Although well, she couldn't blame anyone really. It was just nature. Especially medieval thinking.
Dont opened the door to her room after several minutes of conversation and attempts to flirt by Bardo.
She closed the door and made the sign for the Hanzo in her shadow to activate the silencing and anti-divination measures.
Dont threw herself on the bed that seemed hard and uncomfortable compared to her bed back in Titania. She ignored the presence of the Hanzos, Shadow Demons, and her 2 NPCs Mercenary bodyguards and kicked and moaned against the pillow.
She was like this for a minute, and stopped, blushing slightly at the fact that she had done such a thing in front of so many eyes.
She looked back at the NPC Mercenaries.
"Everything you just saw will not leave this room. Understood?" Her voice took on a sinister tone. Both from her attitude, and the unconscious activation of [Demon Royal Command]. It wouldn't do anything to the group of around level 80, but it enhanced her 'intimidation'. Although, of course, the Shadow Demons were forced to obey inevitably, even if they rebelled.
"Understood." The response came immediately from the Hanzos and Shadow Demons in the shadows, and the other 2 NPC Mercenaries just stood firm suddenly, unable to speak.
Dont just lay on her back, mainly because it was annoying to lie face down with so much chest, looking at the totally blank ceiling.
And she snapped her fingers, to which a Shadow Demon approached her ear.
"Eh... He desires my body so much...? Disgusting... Although I can't deny that I'm beautiful~" Dont said humbly while striking a pose worthy of a diva.
The Demon Queen shook her head, still disgusted. She would have to deal with that guy and his goons…
Was she forgetting something? Nah. How could she forget something? And if she did, it must be because it wasn't important~
…
"... What do you mean Dont has already left...?" Black Abyss said with a sweat drop falling down her temple as she listened to the Shadow Demon. "But she wanted a meeting as soon as she returned... I've been waiting for half an hour after giving the quick report to the guild..."
Black Abyss sighed in irritation… It was the second time Dont had done this, and she was beginning to doubt her abilities as a queen, but that was for later.
Now she had to go back and find the Dark Swords and Nfirea for her share of the reward.
She exited the meeting room and signaled for Alicia to follow her, although the latter could sense Black Abyss's discomfort for a moment.
They left the guild, and Titania asked Alicia.
"Where did Nfirea say his shop was?"
"Oh! Are you the ones who went to collect herbs with my grandson?" an elderly woman said to Titania and Elise as they exited, catching their attention.
"Your grandson? Are you talking about Nfirea Bareare?" Titania asked, to which the woman nodded.
"That's right, I'm Lizzie Bareare, Nfirea's grandmother." She looked at both women with a wide smile. "What incredibly beautiful girls; my grandson is really lucky." She said playfully, and a sweat drop fell from Titania's forehead. "By the way, since you two escorted him, where is he now?" The old woman asked, to which Titania quickly responded.
"He's at the shop. The Dark Swords escorted him there while I reported to the guild. They should have already organized everything they collected."
The woman smiled and spoke again.
"I see. Don't you want to come with me then? I want to hear about what you did."
"Oh, sure." Titania nodded and followed the woman with Elise, walking and chatting while Black Abyss told her about the things she had done.
Some didn't seem very credible to the woman, but she continued to listen attentively.
"Please, come in." The old woman said, reaching the shop, but as she was about to open it with her keys, with a little push, the door opened; it had been open from the start. "That boy... he's so careless." She sighed at the boy's lack of care in the middle of the night. "Nfirea! Titania is here!" The woman called out Titania's name loudly, but there didn't seem to be an immediate response as usual.
"Something's wrong..." Titania exclaimed, and she quickly went inside the house, getting in front of the old woman, who looked confused.
"What are you doing?" The woman asked Titania, who was carefully inspecting the room, and Titania looked at Elise then.
"Protect her. Something happened here..."
Elise just nodded, and Titania headed to a door. She opened it by breaking the lock and entered another room. She could smell a different scent than herbs and mushrooms, the clear metallic scent of blood.
It was not a very long hallway, and she went to the door at the other end of the hallway, opening it as well, but her eyes widened at the scene.
The Dark Swords were dead... Peter, Lukeluther, she could see them lying on the floor, and she entered the room and saw Ninya as well.
If she was irritated before, she was now genuinely upset. But then, she looked down when she felt something grabbing her leg. It was Peter…
"Zombie..."
"Zombies!?" Lizzie screamed upon seeing that, rushing out of the place shouting her grandson's name.
"Follow her, protect her." Black Abyss said with an exasperated and irritated sigh to Elise, who nodded again, moving in the direction where the woman had run.
Black Abyss looked to the side when she saw the zombified body of Dyne trying to attack her, but she raised her hand and shone brightly, illuminating the room.
"[Purify]" She chanted, and a golden light came out of her towards the outside, making them fall to the ground in ashes that quickly scattered.
It was too late... If only she hadn't wasted so much time on that stupid fake meeting call... She growled, thinking that she would make whoever did this pay dearly.
"I can't find Nfirea!" Lizzie's voice came again, who had entered.
"They didn't come to steal anything. What we collected is still here, and it seems that the only thing missing is your grandson, Nfirea." Titania exclaimed to the desperate woman, turning around to face her.
Titania had looked around; not only were there signs of torture on Ninya, but also numbers written with his blood on the floor and the wall; whoever did this wanted to leave a message.
"Who were these people?" Lizzie asked, looking horrified at the scene.
"These... were the Dark Swords... A group of adventurers who were hired along with me to keep Nfirea safe..." And now that she looked, their adventurer plates were missing; it was like in war in her world, when a soldier took the patch of a fallen enemy as a trophy.
"Were they your comrades!?"
"Something like that..." Titania said, looking around for more evidence, clearly angry but keeping her composure.
These adventurers had been turned into zombies, a Level 3 spell, so there might be a Lich among those who did this. Or someone with enough skill to perform such a spell. After all, Level 3 seemed to be that of a master in this world.
But it was clear that the target was Nfirea; his talent to use any magical item should be the reason.
"We have to do something. If they kidnapped Nfirea, it means they won't kill him. After all, they would lose the ability to use his talent."
Titania explained, starting to take out a large number of scrolls from under her cloak.
"What are you doing...?" Lizzie asked, confused.
"I will use a spell to locate an item. In this case, the necklace of one of them. If it was stolen, whoever did it should still have it. But for that, I must make sure that no one can counter the spell." She explained, starting to take the scrolls and open them, reading them before they disappeared in a flame with no burning or heat effects.
Once all the scrolls were activated, Black Abyss activated [Locate Item].
"Hm... This place..." Black Abyss had seen the map quite a bit; she recognized it by memory and knew that being a border fort, it had something very big that many other cities didn't have.
She sighed again. She was somewhat annoyed after all.
"The cemetery." She declared, turning around, using spells to see what was happening there, and saw a huge number of animated skeletons, Undead.
But, in the depths of the cemetery, in different clothes, Nfirea was there.
"We're leaving." Black Abyss said.
"Yes, Titania."
Lizzie looked at the woman in white, confused and worried. "What about the sewers?"
"They're not there. They're in the cemetery. We'll go there, but there's a lot of Undead, so go to the adventurers' guild and warn them about this. Let no Undead leave the cemetery."
"Alright, I'll go myself. But some Undead might escape before I annihilate them in the cemetery. Try to warn everyone about this. Ask them to take care of the Undead that come out of the cemetery. If they hear it from you, they will undoubtedly believe it, after all, I won't be here to protect them, but in the middle of that army." Titania explained, starting to walk towards the exit, while the nervous Lizzie approached.
"W-Wait! C-Can you take some potions or something! How do you plan to pass through that army!?" Black Abyss turned around, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword and slightly unsheathing it, showing the magnificent glow of her magical weapon.
"Don't worry. I have my methods."
…
Dont's carriage moved along the almost dark road.
She suppressed a groan of annoyance as she endured the turbulence of the unenchanted carriage.
Dont massaged her temples while her Shadow Demons informed her that the targets were getting closer. She had left a bit later than planned, about 2 hours later, as she had fallen asleep…
She apologized to Zach, explaining that she had some inconveniences, and they immediately set off. However, she still felt like she was forgetting something very important...
She listened to the Shadow Demon reporting the distance to the targets and held back another sigh.
The Armor and the Dullahan were in the seats in front of her, and with the Hanzos hidden, she had enough defenses to deal with the targets if there were no unforeseen circumstances.
Wah... she already wanted to go back to Titania... She even had to reluctantly admit that she missed Black Abyss's antics...
She just wanted to throw herself at Black Abyss and tease her a bit~
Normally, she would think of something like throwing herself onto her chest, as she did with her sister when she returned from a hard day of work... But let's say that Black Abyss didn't put in much effort there, so it would be like throwing herself at a wall.
Although her backside would be more appealing? She never got to see it after all. With the loose and thick outfits she always wore, like her dress, and the censorship of Yggdrasil itself, it wasn't exactly easy.
Umu... Something in all that sounded important... Chest... Dress... Yggdrasil... Black Ab- Ah...
"Black Abyss!" Dont shouted with realization, grateful that she had the Hanzo silence the carriage so that no noise would come out. "Fuck!"
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Name: Titania (Look at Author's Comment~)
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