**Loki POV**
"Around two months ago several villages within the Verdant Council suddenly erupted into flames. The arsonists in question were reported to have constantly spoken of their immortality and how they would enact vengeance upon all who dare slight or resist them. Furthermore, that claim was validated to degree when an hour after five of those individuals had been decapitated they reappeared though weaker than before." While at first Loki had sounded rather calm and informative his voice slowly began to drip with scorn.
"Furthermore, before troops arrived on the rescue Oni that had once submitted to the Verdant Council rose up alongside the resurrecting 'Apostles of the Great Spirit Heinrich', that is the Gaebulg Crusaders. To make matters worse there was rampant looting, pillaging and other such activities which has lead to an influx of elven slaves across the world." While Loki hadn't mentioned it directly there was an obscene amount of forced servitude and non-consensual relationships in a way to phrase it more kindly.
"After around twelve villages had been laid to waste the Oni families involved had been executed to the third generation or exiled once they escaped. While forty-five of the sixty Gaebulg Crusaders remain at large those fifteen that were caught are supposedly locked away in the deepest dungeons the Verdant Council has." The scorn had been replaced by confusion in his voice though he was glaring at the crystals on the foreheads of the Floral Maidens.
"You see, they all had Crystals much like the three of you. They are even in the same location. Even in the Zoval Empire while we lack numerous trained mages we have plenty of ways to keep some rowdy Heaven-Blessed suppressed and then locked up." After saying that he flashed the girls a brilliant smile that didn't meet the eyes and caused Faya to blush and deepen her breathing at the veiled threat. Much less needed to be said about Saya who was already off in dreamland.
**Kaya POV**
(How do we clear our name here? He is clearly suspecting us of being in league with those idiots we have missions to try and save.)
"Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking without permission. While we may have a similar origin to those Crusaders, we are competitors. What may we do to prove we don't seek to harm the Zoval Empire?" Kaya couldn't stop sweating with the beast known as Mekkla staring at her. At first she hadn't put much stock into his performance though hearing how he had been fighting well before the Goblin King showed up she began to fear him in the current moment.
"Prove your intent to not harm the Zoval Empire? Not swear loyalty? There isn't an easy way for that aside from putting in long periods of time to regain that trust. Trust is lost in buckets or more and gained in drops or less." Loki after saying that hadn't noticed anything wrong with that and Mekkla didn't think much on the matter, Faya caught onto it however.
"Drops or less, Your Highness? What a peculiar phrase of speech. As if there is anything lesser than drops. Could we see the time we might spend at your ranking battle as a way to start rebuilding trust?" There was a bright smile on Faya's face fitting of her appearance if one would discount her horns.
"Hm? What are talking about nothing less than ...." Loki had furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue in frustration. He took a deep breath and clapped his hands in between his cheeks causing everyone in the carriage to look at him in surprise.
"Vice-Captain Mekkla resume standby outside of the carriage. This is an order, the Floral Maidens have no intention of harming me." Mekkla had hesitated though after a staring match he left the carriage and Loki activated the soundproof barrier the carriage had and used some minor Mirage magic to obscure their faces to prevent lip reading.
"So, what are players doing calling themselves Heaven-Blessed. There should be no such people alive especially as young as you all are. The film around the world prevents direct intervention from being higher than a Demigod if I'm not mistaken. What world are you from?" His eyes were narrowed and his figure was surrounded by a haze, that haze looking like various torture tools.
"What world? There are other worlds? You know ..." Just before Kaya could continue Faya held a hand out and shook her head from side to side. "We are from Earth, Your Highness and playing a VRMMORPG or Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game." Kaya whose face was paling looked like she was about to scream though Loki was nodding his head and finally looking like he had managed to relax.
"I see, while I can't recall my name in my previous life and many details are hazy, I was reborn in this world from Earth. Albeit we hadn't gotten things such as a VRMMORPG aside from in fiction." Silence had reigned for some time as the Floral Maidens took that time to collect their bearings.
"Right, I need to say something. This world is real, the people are real, and if the Heaven-Blessed can't control themselves I will make it my mission to keep them from interfering with this world I've come to know." For a second the three sisters could have sworn they saw a spectre of a magnificent Emperor behind Loki as he made that proclamation.
The Floral Maidens and Loki remained in silence as they all thought with the carriage steadily growing closer to the capital of the Zoval Empire. The Floral Maidens weren't exactly in silence as they were rapidly chatting away trying to alter their plans to account for the variable that is Loki.
**A void outside Haestinnia**
"Kukukuku, how intriguing. Those Succubi found quite the interesting game piece that the will of the world must have arranged for." This figure was a pitch black shadow with scales, claws, and curved obsidian like horns.
"Orswell how can you be laughing? That kid is a true threat and he hasn't even been recognized as an Envoy of that Main world." This figure was a wolf standing on two legs, none other than the Great Spirit Heinrich.
"Pah! You dare say that when you got fifteen of the one hundred passage way openers locked up! Despite having received over half of them!" Those two looked like they were about to come to blows when in an old man in scholarly robes intervened.
"Now, now you two. Won't you give me Yuseth some face and hold off on this fight? We all wish to rule the Main World that banished us after all. If we cause our advance to fight among themselves the rewards we can grant them through our system will lessen." Some clicks of the tongue followed and all three sat around a round table.
"Now then, as we can see the Floral Maidens might just be wrapped up into the faction of that Reincarnator. Those girls do seem to have morals after all and they do seem to be taking it hard especially with them messaging each other about the villages they failed to save when they started out." Yuseth after speaking waved his hand showing the chat log of the Floral Maidens.
"This isn't that bad Yuseth. At least we could use them as a failsafe or have them assist under more generous conditions such as sparing a measly Empire." Orswell had a smile on his face as he rewound time looking at how fast Loki had gained power, his demonic heart wanting to see how far Loki might go to sate his desires once he becomes even stronger.
"Orswell ... you really need to fix that bad habit. Haah, well we should likely just keep an eye on those girls and see how they fare before assigning a new mission." Heinrich let out a rather weary sigh though the three quickly refocused on other matters.
The free Gaebulg Crusaders were building forces and training, looking for an opportunity to free their brethren. Adding in the three who were imprisoned by three separate dukes within the Zoval Empire accounted for sixty-six when including the Floral Maidens. Twenty-five of the remaining Thirty-Four were Humans and rising in position of various powers led by mankind. Only a few of them hadn't yet become knights of various nations with the ambitious goal of making a coalition led by the Heaven-Blessed to dominate the world.
The remaining nine were Demons and all part of an Adventurer Team that styled itself as the Midnight Tea Party. Their main goal being to fully explore this world. "Luckily most all of them are using their strength in combat though there are some humans taking unique approaches." Yuseth looked down at the few before turning his attention elsewhere much like the other two who were handling the matters of their world and planning how to further the eventual invasion.
**Loki POV**
"Now then I've given you enough time to think, yet silence has been reigning. Leave my carriage we will talk later and I will want to hear a decision. Will you become my subordinates? Will you vow to control yourselves? Or will you insist on keeping the freedom to act as you please?" Without a word in a short few seconds Loki was the only one in his carriage and that was the case until they got to the Capital with Simon, Jirai, and Mekkla joining him. Once they got through the gates Loki had been summoned to the Castle to finalize the hunt while there was another piece of news. The Verdant Council had sent three Elders along with a guard regiment as a gift for Loki.