That morning, Priscilla stood on the battlements of Morenth like the figurehead on a battleship.
Octavian 's forces lay spread out before her, his vast army overflowing the road and engulfing the fields of grain that surrounded Morenth. The front rank of his troops was a line of enormous catapults, and a half-dozen massive dragon revenants stood ready to attack as well.
General Viers looked uncomfortable. "Princess-"
"Empress," Priscilla said growled.
General Viers grumbled something under his breath. " Empress , please get away from the battlements. One of their archers might get lucky. "
"If they can hit me at this range, perhaps they deserve to kill an Empress," Priscilla said with vast unconcern.
Priscilla studied the scene before her. Octavian acted just as Subaru and I planned. He 's sent nearly all of his forces to attack Morenth. Much more than I predicted.
This suggests that he gathered some of his forces from beyond the immediate area and that they 'd come here via a forced march. Those soldiers will be exhausted and in no shape to engage in a pitched battle. That's an advantage.
Octavian is planning to win the city through treachery. After Casca 's arrest, it took embarrassingly little effort to make him reveal every name that he knew in the hopes of avoiding the typical fate of traitors: summary execution.
Now, I 've scooped up dozens of traitors who were lying in wait in our forces. I'm not fool enough to think that I've got them all, but I've captured enough that the remainder will struggle to accomplish anything of significance during the battle. The rest of them will keep until tomorrow.
The big problem is those dragon revenants. We 've never encountered them before. Subaru and I didn't plan a contingency for those.
If it comes down to a straight battle and those massive revenants are still involved, the situation will be grim.
Annoyingly, no one has seen Cecilus since the funeral. The idiot vanishes just when he would finally have been useful.
Priscilla shook off the thought. First of all, I need to deal with those dragon revenants. We have no idea what their capabilities are, and this is no time to find out.
Viers thinks there is also a horde of human revenants in the army, but if Subaru 's hunch is correct, I doubt that the Legions will have much trouble with them now that their equipment has been modified.
But it truly troubles me just how heavily I am gambling on Subaru 's intuition.
Priscilla folded her arms across her chest. "Are the men standing by to counterattack, General?"
Viers seemed aggravated. "Yes… Empress , but I believe that we 'd need an enormous stroke of luck to be able to march out and counterattack!"
Priscilla found herself grinning.
Luck is my stock in trade. I am a daughter of Emperors, and now I can finally prove that my blood runs just as red and thick as my brother 's.
The smell of conquest is in the air.
From Octavian 's army, there came a loud blaring of horns. Priscilla's eyes narrowed as she waited, but her foes didn't attack.
"What are they signaling?" Viers wondered.
Priscilla made a face. "I expect that they're signaling for our new guests in the dungeon to engage in some constructive treachery," Priscilla said calmly. "Please, give them our answer."
Priscilla gestured at a captain standing on the battlements, and he nodded as he went to work.
Arrayed on top of the battlements were rows and rows of ballistas. Essentially giant crossbows, a ballista could throw a spear the thickness of a young tree almost half a mile, penetrating whatever it hit.
The captain shouted out orders, and Priscilla heard a clanking sound as the engineers adjusted their aim.
Normally, ballistas throw spears. However, for this battle, Priscilla had ordered something very special.
I took Subaru Natsuki 's idea, and I did him one, maybe even three better, She thought smugly. After inspecting the siege weapons, I realized that a ballista would only kill one man and only if it happened to hit him. So, I demanded something better.
The Morenth pottery guild had an unexpected surge of work last night. I ordered all the spearheads on the ballista bolts be removed and replaced with sealed earthenware jugs. And those jugs are filled to the brim with pitch, naphtha, and Fire Stones.
"Ready, Aim," The Captain shouted. "Light your rags… Fire!"
There was a musical twang as dozens of ballistas fired in unison.
Because Octavian 's army was so close to Morenth, the ballistas were forced to fire nearly straight up. Fifty long spears with a burning rag tied around their necks arced high into the sky and then slowly came down, the burning rags making them look like fiery comets as they descended.
Octavian 's men looked up in confusion as the ballista bolts descended. Priscilla watched as their faces shifted from confusion to terror, but by then, it was far too late to matter.
The ballista bolts struck the center of Octavian 's lines with an explosive impact. The earthenware jugs shattered on impact, and their contents were scattered everywhere. The pitch and naphtha-soaked Fire Stones stuck fast to whatever they hit, and the burning rag set the whole mess ablaze.
In seconds, the entire army was in chaos as the fires spread. The dried-up fields quickly ignited as well, driving the army further into a panic.
As Subaru had guessed, the dried-up old revenants all burned like kindling.
The undead dragons let out a deafening roar of pain. They began to flap their useless wings as if trying to beat the fire out, but it was hopeless. The dragons ' bones grew brittle from the heat, and the monsters began to break apart under their own weight.
"Gods strike me, Princess!" Viers gasped. "It worked!"
"Get down and take command of the flankers, General," Priscilla snapped, choosing to ignore his 'unintentional' use of an incorrect title. "I'll signal you when the fires are contained. Then, you will march out and engage with flankers and skirmishers. Don't commit to battle! Just do as much damage as you can, destroy all the siege weapons you can, and then retreat. We're still outnumbered, and we can't afford to get drawn into a protracted fight. Have General Canae standing by with the heavy infantry. If Octavian is fool enough to disengage, we will make it very costly for him."
"Yes, Princess," Viers said with a bow, and he raced off.
Priscilla watched the burning men fleeing across the fields with a smug smile.
The fires have isolated Octavian 's forces. They can't come to reinforce the front line, and now Viers will crush it.
By the time Octavian 's forces can regain their footing, Viers will have reduced all of Octavian's catapults to scraps and kindling. And without siege weapons, Octavian's chances to breach the walls of Morenth have fallen to just about zero. But if he attempts to retreat, my forces are ready and waiting to charge out and engage while his forces are out of position. We'll savage his entire army.
I wonder if Octavian realizes that he 's trapped yet. I would give a great deal to see the look on his face as that realization dawns on him.
"How the hell do you get lost in a sealed-up tomb?!" Garfiel demanded as the group sprinted back down the hall and toward the grand atrium.
"He's not lost!" Subaru snapped. "He slipped away. I don't know what he's doing, but whatever it is, he's doing it deliberately."
"And if he sneaked off to do it, there's a good sign that he's doing something that would make us seriously angry," Felt added as they raced through the field of statues and started climbing up the stairway.
There was a loud snapping sound from the direction of the empty grave that brought Subaru skidding to a halt. He looked back out into the room.
He saw that the legion of statues were now staring directly at him, their eyes blazing with blue fire.
"Oh shit," Subaru whispered. "Run!" He shouted.
The group sprinted up the stairwell at full speed. Subaru looked back down at the floor of the atrium. In perfect sync, the metal statues ponderously rose from their knees with a series of whirling and clanking sounds.
Holy shit, they 're machines!
At that moment, something clicked in Subaru 's mind, remembering a dream he'd had back in the Elior Forest.
Those are the Ironborn! Those weird golem things from my first vision of the past!
…And that means that the draugr must be Ironborn, too. They've Ironborn, who have been buried in the ground for centuries, and they're in terrible condition but are the same type of creature.
And that tells me that these Ironborn, kept safely inside the tomb for all these years, will be much worse to deal with!
The party reached the top of the stairwell, and Subaru quickly gestured for them to get down and hide as he tried to peek discretely over the railing.
The Ironborn far below them were all moving. The metal monsters seemed to have lost sight of Subaru and his friends, but they hadn 't forgotten them.
The Ironborn divided into groups, fanning out in a search pattern with at least a few Ironborn checking each passage and one large party already marching slowly up the stairs.
"We need to hide!" Felt hissed.
"What about Brador?" Garfiel whispered.
"We can't worry about him right now!" Subaru snapped back, already having a few suspicions about Brador's involvement in this mess.
The group hid in a narrow alcove not far from the temple entrance. The clanking sounds of the patrolling Ironborn were clearly audible.
"They're not giving up," Garfiel whispered in a worried tone.
"Yeah. Machines tend not to do that," Subaru grumbled.
"What do we do?" Felt squeaked.
Subaru scowled. "The Ironborn are going to keep searching until they flush us out. We-"
"Is that what these things are called?" Felt interrupted. "Ironborn?"
"But the Ironborn are just a myth!" Garfiel whispered.
Subaru looked at him. "Wait. You've heard of them? "
"Yeah. They're part of a fairy tale about an ancient king's immortal army," Garfiel explained.
Subaru hesitated and then shook his head. "Never mind, we'll get into that later. Anyway, as long as we're trapped in here, the Ironborn are going to find us sooner or later. Probably sooner. "
"But if we open the gate, the draugr are still waiting for us outside!" Felt reminded him.
Subaru thought it over, and then his eyes narrowed. "We're going to have to time this carefully."
"Time what?" Felt whispered.
"We're going to want to lead the Ironborn to the gate just as we open it."
"What?" Garfiel gasped.
"Listen. When the gate opens," Subaru said patiently. "And we run outside, followed by a legion of mechanical soldiers; the folks waiting outside should be shocked. They'll have no choice but to focus on the Ironborn instead of us. That might give us an opening to make a break for it."
"Seriously, Subaru?" Felt asked incredulously. "That's the plan? Maybe it's my mixed-up memories talking, but I remember your plans being a lot less suicidal than this."
Subaru sighed. "This is all that I've got."
"Oh yeah," Felt moaned, rubbing her forehead. "I love this plan."
"Well, if we're going to do something, we better do it soon," Garfiel whispered, listening intently. "I can hear more and more Ironborn reaching the upper level."
Subaru nodded. "Yeah, we need to move."
Subaru and his friends crept down the narrow passage, pressing themselves flat against the wall and hiding behind a stone statue as a group of five Ironborn marched by, clanking. The metal warriors didn 't even glance down the alcove.
The Ironborn were at least ten feet tall, and their muscular bodies were heavily stylized, including metal hair and beards. Their skin was covered in glowing blue marks that looked like strange runes. They wore kilts and metal harnesses that were part of their forged bodies. Inside the harnesses were swords, spears, maces, and even bows and arrows: weapons for any situation the Ironborn could encounter.
"I wonder why they haven't come down this way so far," Garfiel murmured.
Subaru pursed his lips. "On a hunch, I'm guessing that these Ironborn have different instructions. They're not searching for us. They're just guarding the door. The ones that are searching for us are probably down in the depths and working their way out. "
"There must be a hundred of these monsters," Felt whispered. "It won't take them long to search those tunnels."
Subaru nodded. "Yeah. Time to move," He inched to the edge of the hallway and peered around the corner. The five-man patrol of Ironborn was slowly moving back toward the Atrium, where Subaru saw more than twenty metal monsters standing there and waiting.
"Alright," Subaru whispered. "I'll get the Ironborn's attention and make them chase me. You two get to the gate and stand by the lever. You want to open the gate just as the Ironborn reach us."
"Bad plan, Subaru," Felt said shortly. "I've seen you try to run. It's not really a talent of yours."
Subaru gave Felt an annoyed look.
"The shrimp is right, Captain," Garfiel agreed. "We're both faster than you. And you're better at predicting and timing things. The shrimp and I will get their attention and get them to chase us to the gate. You just be standing by the lever for the right moment."
Subaru stared at him.
This feels … wrong. Letting them be closer to danger than me just feels wrong.
But, like it or not, they do make a valid point.
Subaru made a face, but he reluctantly nodded. "Alright then. You two get the Ironborn's attention, and then you make a dash for the entrance. I'll open the gate when you get close, and then we'll all run out."
"What if the draugr are still waiting out there?" Felt asked.
"They are," Subaru said. "But the draugr are ancient Ironborn in terrible condition. Without specific direction to the contrary, I doubt that the draugr and the Ironborn will recognize each other. When the Ironborn chase after us, they'll also be charging straight at the draugr. That should make the draugr perceive them as a threat and react accordingly."
"You hope," Garfiel pointed out.
Subaru made a face and nodded.
"OK. So, they fight each other, and we get the hell out of there," Felt said slowly. "But about Sphinx and Octavian's army?"
"Once the Ironborn emerge, Sphinx and Octavian will have much bigger problems to worry about than us. Remember, they don't know that the Ironborn appear to be specifically looking for us," Subaru said. "Sphinx and Octavian have a dozen draugr or so outside. There have got to be a hundred Ironborn in here. The draugr won't hold them back for long, and then Sphinx and Octavian will have to worry about how to protect their forces from the Ironborn. Ten Ironborn could probably tear up their whole army."
"So the Ironborn and the army fight each other, and then we make a dash for the gate?" Garfiel asked.
"No," Subaru said at once. "We run down the stairs. I'm certain that there's an army waiting for us behind the draugr. We'll go around or through the soldiers if we need to, and then we run into that ghetto of shacks that they've built around the tomb."
"What? Why?!" Felt asked incredulously. "That doesn't get us out of the compound. It just brings us deeper in!"
"Because we're still heavily gambling on just how the Ironborn and the draugr will react to each other," Subaru said matter-of-factly. "If they don't fight each other and we run to the gate, which is almost certainly going to be closed and guarded, then we'll be trapped against a wall with both sets of monsters bearing down on us. If we head into the ghetto, then at least we can try to find places to hide while the Ironborn and Octavian's forces work out their differences."
Felt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Subaru, I don't remember your plans being quite this risky."
Subaru shrugged. "I have to admit, they've been getting riskier for several weeks now," He reflected.
Subaru was cut off by a loud clanking sound as the Ironborn patrol passed by again. He watched them carefully and lowered his voice.
Subaru shrugged. "Look, we can only work with what we've got. Now, if anyone has a better idea, I'm very happy to consider it, but this is all that I've got."
Garfiel and Felt shared a nervous look, but nobody said anything.
Subaru nodded. "Alright," He whispered. "Wait until the patrol passes the alcove on their way down to the atrium again, and then we'll move."
Subaru watched with barely hidden frustration as Garfiel and Felt walked down the passageway toward the Ironborn.
I hate this. I should be the one doing that. I should be the one standing between them and danger. But the problem is, I 'm not stupid. They're right about being faster than me.
I really hate it when they 're right.
Felt and Garfiel reached the far end of the passage. The Ironborn patrol marched away in front of them. They were about to enter the grand atrium, where even more of the metal monsters stood patiently waiting.
"Now what, shrimp?" Garfiel whispered, looking with trepidation at the clanking mechanical men.
Felt put her fingers to her lips and blew a loud whistle.
The Ironborn all turned in unison, staring at Felt with eyes of blazing blue fire.
Garfiel swallowed hard. "Well, that was effective, " He whispered.
"Run!" Felt snapped.
The pair tore off down the passage, hearing the rapid clanking of the pursuing Ironborn. Unlike the draugr, the Ironborn moved smoothly and efficiently with no limping or awkward gait to slow them. A human sprinter might be able to move faster, but not by very much.
Subaru watched the pair flee down the corridor, and he triggered Reason and Judgment to make a precise calculation for Felt and Garfiel 's arrival at the gate. Then he pushed the lever.
It was stuck.
Subaru 's heart stopped as Felt, Garf, and the Ironborn closed in. The lever wouldn't move.
If I use Indomitable, I 'll just snap the lever off!
Just as Subaru thought they were doomed, he threw himself at the lever, using his whole body weight to push it over with a grinding and clanking sound.
The gate slid open just as Felt and Garfiel reached it and together, the party dashed out onto the pyramid summit, followed by the pursuing Ironborn.
As Subaru had expected, the summit was full of a dozen draugr waiting to grab them. But as he hoped, the ancient monsters hesitated, attempting to analyze the new and unexpected situation as the Ironborn charged out of the tomb.
"Keep running!" Subaru shouted as they started down the steps.
The Ironborn showed no reaction to the draugr at all, perhaps able to recognize the monsters as creatures similar to themselves, and so they kept running after Subaru and his friends. But when the Ironborn got close enough to the draugr, the ancient and poorly maintained creatures identified them as a threat.
The draugr struck at the Ironborn with their heavy fists, but what would have killed a human, shattering all his bones in the process, only shook the Ironborn for a moment.
Having been attacked, the Ironborn 's priorities reset, and they drew swords, spears, and other weapons from the metal harnesses wrapped around their bodies. Then they fell upon the draugr like grim vengeance.
It was like the draugr had fallen into a blender. The draugr 's unnatural resilience was still very much in evidence, but within seconds, the Ironborn effortlessly ground them down into powder. Subaru could see that the draugr crumbs were still animated and fighting to join together, but they moved slowly, and it would take time.
In seconds, the draugr were utterly obliterated. Having been slowed by the ancient monsters for only a stride or two, the Ironborn set off after Subaru and his friends.
Oh shit! I didn 't think the Ironborn could deal with the draugr that fast! We 're in trouble!
"Shit! Run!" Subaru screamed, seeing his plans collapsing in flames.
An entire legion of Vollachian and demi-human soldiers waited at the bottom of the pyramid steps, staring up at the approaching metal titans in disbelief.
"Keep running! Run straight through them!" Subaru ordered.
They 're no threat! They'll need to brace for the Ironborn onslaught. They won't try to stop us from running around them, but if we get there, maybe they can hold the Ironborn back for a few seconds. Long enough for us to disappear into the ghetto. That will at least buy us some time as they keep searching for us.
Subaru was only halfway down the stairs, but his lungs already burned, and his muscles ached. The clanking sound of charging footfalls grew steadily louder behind him, and Subaru suddenly felt a great heat as if an enormous furnace was nearby.
Subaru knew that the Ironborn must be almost close enough to touch, and he didn 't dare look back. Garfiel and Felt raced desperately down the stairs a few paces ahead of him.
To his horror, Subaru saw the Ironborn out of the corner of his eye, a pair of them flanking him on both sides.
Subaru prepared to trigger Indomitable, determined to sell his life dearly and give the others time to escape.
The Ironborn were on both sides of him, their swords at the ready.
And then they passed him.
The surprise made Subaru stagger to a stop. He stood there panting for breath as the Ironborn kept charging. Dozens of Ironborn moved around Subaru, smoothly as flowing water and paying him absolutely no mind.
Subaru 's heart stopped as the metal monsters charged toward Garfiel and Felt, but the Ironborn simply stepped around them, moving in perfect unison as they flowed down the stairs like a wave of metal.
Then, they fell upon Octavian 's soldiers with savage fury.
The screams of pain were deafening, punctuated by the tearing sounds of protesting metal. The Ironborn tore into the legion of professional soldiers, hacking apart their armor like a man would shuck an oyster out of its shell. The metal monsters cleaved through the army without hesitation or any meaningful resistance. In moments, the entire formation collapsed, and the few survivors ran for their lives, closely pursued by the merciless Ironborn.
Garfiel and Felt both came to a stop, looking back up at Subaru in confusion.
Subaru could only spread his arms helplessly.
"Fascinating creatures!" A voice said from higher up on the pyramid.
Subaru looked and saw Brador walking down the steps with a smug expression. He was flanked by three Ironborn that hovered over him protectively.
In his hand, he held the golden staff.
"I'd always assumed that the records in the Archives were exaggerations," Brador said conversationally as he reached Subaru, "But the legends did not disappoint!"
Subaru could only stare at him. "Brador, what are you doing?" He murmured.
"Oh, just taking care of some business. The Empire is a stern mistress, and taking care of business is unavoidable to a man in my position," He explained.
Subaru stared at him. An impossible notion took root in his mind, gaining strength and conviction the longer he thought about it.
Finally, Subaru could contain it no longer, " Vincent ?! " He gasped.
Brador smirked. "Oh. I suppose the proverbial cat is out of the bag," He said, reaching up to his face and removing something from his eyes. He now held in his hand something that looked similar to brown contact lenses.
Brador 's eyes were as red as blood.
"To be honest," Brador reflected, "I admit that I had misgivings when my craftsman assured me that these things would conceal my rather recognizable eyes. But it seems that he carried the day, and I owe him a reward."
Subaru sensed his friends slowly climbing the stairs toward him, but his mind was still sputtering, trying to make sense of the situation. "You… You died ! I watched you die! Your heart wasn 't beating!"
Brador- … Vincent nodded smugly. "A weak paralytic in the wine that you fed me," He explained. "Thank you for that, by the way. You were instrumental in assuring my enemies that I was truly dead and buried. If Prisca had claimed to have witnessed my death, they might still have been suspicious but you silenced all doubt and gave me the freedom that I needed to move around with ease until I could summon the Ironborn. "
Subaru 's mind felt like a stuttering record. "Why did you need people to think that you were dead at all?!"
"So that I could move around freely," Vincent explained with a shrug. "My disappearing for a few days to meet up with you was already suspicious enough. People were skeptical that I was on my deathbed, unable to meet with anyone that entire time. I couldn't afford to just disappear again. And by dying, I ensured that my enemies were fixated on Prisca rather than deducing my plan to reach God's Grave. As a result, they made no attempt to stop me. Now, thanks to the staff which you so graciously provided me, I control the ultimate weapon."
Subaru scowled. " That 's why you wanted the staff, " He growled.
Subaru 's mind went up in flames. He was filled with the rage and embarrassment of a man who realized that he'd not only been played for a fool but that he'd been deceived with ease.
"Subaru," Felt said as they finished climbing back up the stairs, "What's going on?"
Subaru ignored her. "The poison? You dying? It was all just a trick?" He snarled.
"Oh no! I was poisoned with the Cruel Mercy!" Vincent assured him. "Many years ago. Someone poisoned me and gave me regular doses of the antidote to prolong my life. In layman's terms, 'do as I say, or you don't get the next dose.' A very effective way to control a ruler," He admitted.
"Captain, what's going on?" Garfiel exclaimed.
Subaru scowled at Vincent, his face twisting with rage and humiliation at having been so thoroughly deceived. "Guys, may I introduce… Emperor Vincent," He grated.
The pair stared at Vincent in shock.
Vincent laughed, clearly amused by their reaction. "I'd say that it's a pleasure to finally meet you, but after all the time we've spent together, I feel like I already know you both rather well."
Subaru sighed. "So, the poison wasn't a lie? You are poisoned? "
"No, not anymore," Vincent said brightly. "I managed to acquire a real antidote, which cut the strings binding me to my poisoner. I suppose I could have just announced to them that I was a free agent and would no longer do their bidding, but I became somewhat more ambitious after that. I saw an opportunity to reshape the Empire forever in my own image. I've eliminated the Arcani, and now I've acquired the Ironborn. This gives me absolute military supremacy in the Empire and beyond."
Subaru got a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Vincent," Subaru whispered. "Give me the staff."
Vincent 's expression looked convincingly surprised. "I thought that we had a deal, Subaru Natsuki," He said reprovingly.
"I don't like being lied to, Vincent!" Subaru whispered in an icy voice. "Now give me the staff. Remember, I can take it from you."
The three Ironborn loamed over them, clearly starting to regard Subaru as a threat to their master.
I can easily smash three. And Vincent. Then I 'll have the staff, and I can command the Ironborn to back down and leave us alone.
Then we 'll go after Emilia.
Vincent looked thoughtful. "You know, I think you could. I've gained a great deal of respect for your abilities over the past few days. Honestly, running around the Empire with you and your friends was more fun than I've had in years. You probably could take the staff from me. After all, you only need to hold back the Ironborn long enough to kill me, which would be no challenge for you at all. And then, you could command the Ironborn to stop attacking you and your friends. "
Subaru frowned, puzzled by this calm analysis.
I don 't get it. Is Vincent just now realizing that his plan has a flaw?
Vincent shrugged. "Here you go," He said, handing Subaru the staff.
Subaru took the staff with a baffled expression. He stared at Vincent, completely dumbfounded.
Vincent 's expression was expectant.
What the hell is Vincent playing at?
Subaru held the staff awkwardly. "Hey. You three. Back off," He told the Ironborn.
The Ironborn made no reaction. They stared hard at Subaru with their burning eyes of blue fire, their body language warning him not to come any closer to their master.
Subaru looked at the staff in confusion.
"It's like you said," Vincent said helpfully. "The staff's simplest power allows you to share your thoughts with the target, but it doesn't enforce compliance. And all of its greater powers require someone who wields an Authority! You might be able to access its greater potential at some point, but I can't."
"So… What are you saying?" Subaru asked, struggling to process all this.
Vincent shrugged. "The Archives say that long ago, one of my earliest ancestors was an officer in the First Emperor's army. He was tasked to use his Ironborn to create the God's Grave. As a result, the Ironborn were instructed to obey him. Funnily enough, the Ironborn apparently recognize their master by blood. The Archives noted that in several cases, a descendant of one of the First Emperor's officers managed to control a few of the Ironborn. These Ironborn served my ancestor, and thus, they recognize me as their master as well. Even without the staff, they continue to follow all the instructions that I have given them. "
Subaru digested that. So, Vincent is saying that even though I have the staff, the Ironborn still obey his commands and that they won 't listen to me.
I was wondering why Vincent took so long to find us in the tomb. It should have taken him seconds with all these Ironborn at his disposal. But the truth is that he wasn 't even trying. He probably spent all that time giving the Ironborn a full litany of instructions on how to behave and react in a variety of situations in lieu of specific orders to the contrary. For example, what to do if Vincent ever loses the staff and is threatened. Vincent was just trying to keep us locked up until he finished programming all these instructions into the Ironborn.
Subaru gave Vincent a stern look, but Vincent just smiled back pleasantly.
Vincent 's eyes were smug over his false smile as he waited for Subaru to work things out.
This is a serious problem. I 'd bet every coin that I stole from Sonas that Vincent put some kind of failsafe in the Ironborn to go berserk if anything happened to him and to slaughter me, not to mention Felt and Garfiel.
And I have no way to protect them. Indomitable only lasts five seconds. I can use the staff to control the spirits I summon, but the Ironborn do something agonizing to them, and they somehow disrupt the spirits ' magic anyway.
Even with the staff, I 'd stand no chance at all against the Ironborn.
And what 's worse, even if I could somehow defeat the Ironborn, they still wouldn't listen to me. That means that even if I did kill Vincent, I'd be forced to leave the Ironborn here and lose any chance of confronting Regulus and rescuing Emilia.
Actually …
"You think that these things can fight Regulus?" Subaru asked skeptically.
"I assure you that they can. In fact, there is an ancient legend in our Archives of a being with powers quite similar to the Archbishop who was defeated by the Ironborn. It was a long, hard-fought battle that devastated the region, and all of the people traveling with this witch died during the fight, but the witch did fall. There's a reason why the witches were so determined to seal the Ironborn away."
Subaru digested that.
Vincent extended his hand, never losing his friendly smile. "I'll take the staff back now, please."
Subaru hesitated. "Why did you even need the staff in the first place?" He asked.
"Because I do not possess great magical power, Subaru Natsuki. The Ironborn are inherently loyal to me by virtue of my royal lineage, but without the staff, I have no means to command them or to give them instructions," Vincent explained.
Subaru carefully filed away that information for future use.
Vincent is right, as much as I hate to admit it. My only chance to rescue Emilia is to let him use the Ironborn against Regulus …
Subaru reluctantly handed over the staff.
Vincent 's smile broadened. " Thank you , Subaru Natsuki. I foresee that we will do great things together in the future. "
Subaru 's face burned at Vincent's smugness, but he said nothing.
Subaru jumped as a man with long blue hair and a pink kimono appeared, seemingly out of thin air. He wore two katanas on his belt. "Is everything alright, Vincent?" He asked anxiously.
"Couldn't be better, Cecil," Vincent remarked, touching the man's shoulder fondly. "Anything to report?"
Cecilus seemed more than a bit rattled. "I… got worried when you were sealed in the tomb," He muttered.
Vincent smiled and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm fine, Cecil. And I actually meant, do you have anything to report of tactical significance? We can discuss more … personal matters when we get home. "
Cecilus nodded. "As expected, the Princess baited Octavian into a trap, but we weren't expecting Sphinx's undead dragons to be added to the mix. The princess has done better than we expected, but her situation remains precarious."
Vincent nodded. "Then we need to resolve matters here quickly and march to her relief. A hundred Ironborn should end the rebellion without much effort."
Subaru stared at the blue-haired swordsman. Cecilus?! How did he … He's been following us the whole time, hasn't he? Subaru realized. He must have been what took care of the draugr for us out in the jungle. He cut them down so fast that I never even saw him. He must have been instructed to shadow us and only intervene if absolutely necessary. When Vincent was actually in danger from the draugr, Cecilus intervened and saved us without me ever even realizing it.
That 's why Vincent was so cocky when he handed me the staff. Even if I'd made the 'wrong' choice, Cecilus was standing by to protect him.
But how did he get in here in the first place? He … The wyvern rider. The one who never said anything. It must have been Cecilus in disguise, and he jumped off just after we did. And that means…
Subaru scowled. "Kya?" He grated.
Cecilus jumped and blushed.
Vincent shrugged. "You have to admit, he does look good in a dress, " He said fondly.
"Vincent," Cecilus said, flushed with embarrassment.
Vincent chuckled. "You put everything together so quickly!" He said to Subaru admiringly.
Subaru felt utterly humiliated.
Vincent was playing me like a fiddle from the moment we met. And I never even suspected …
"You know I still want a rematch," Vincent added.
"What?"
"For that chess game," Vincent sighed. "I wasn't kidding. You're the first person who's beaten me since I was a child. It was most impressive. But I do intend to even the score."
Subaru stared at him in disbelief.
Despite everything that 's going on, Vincent is standing here worrying about that ?
Vincent seemed to read Subaru 's incredulous expression. "It's the game of kings," He explained loftily. "A game of tactics, strategy, and resource management. A man who can master chess can master an army. And I can see great things in your future, Subaru Natsuki. "
Subaru fumed. "This is all real interesting, Vincent, but I still don't like being lied to. "
Vincent chuckled. "Come now, my friend. It was all for a good cause. We now have the ultimate weapon, and I promise you that Regulus will not be able to stand against them."
Subaru digested that. "So now we go and save Emilia?" He asked more calmly.
"Not quite," Vincent countered. "You heard Cecil's report. Prisca is in terrible danger, and I need to rescue her. First, we save my sister. Then we rescue your wife."
Subaru fumed, but he took a deep breath and finally nodded. "Alright, but let's move fast!"
Vincent laughed. "You took the words right out of my mouth! We'll quickly mop up here and then head to Morinth to rescue Prisca."
"Do you want me to go and look for Sphinx?" Cecilus suggested, his expression fierce.
"Don't bother," Vincent said carelessly. "Knowing her, she's already miles away."
"She's slippery," Cecilus agreed, inspecting his swords with a disappointed look on his face. "But I'd still like a chance to gut her."
"All in due time, Cecil," Vincent said soothingly. "All in due time. For now, Prisca needs our help. Let's finish up here and head for Morinth."
"Captain!" Garfiel shouted, "What the hell is going on here?"
Subaru flushed and looked awkwardly at Garfiel, feeling like he 'd personally messed everything up.
A chorus of screams echoed up from the ghetto below.
Subaru looked down and saw that the Ironborn were busy tearing apart the houses and slaughtering the people inside.
"Vincent! What are you doing?!" Subaru exclaimed, rushing over to him.
Before he even got close to Vincent, an Ironborn stepped in front of him and Cecilus put a hand on one of his swords, regarding Subaru with a cold expression.
"That should be obvious. I'm destroying rebels," Vincent said calmly, not even bothering to look at Subaru.
"Vincent, those aren't rebels! They're starving serfs!" Subaru said through clenched teeth. "They don't have any loyalty to Octavian or any interest in Vollachian politics! All they care about is being fed!"
"But they did join a rebellion against me," Vincent reminded him. "A person who rebels is, by definition, a rebel."
"Vincent," Subaru fought for calm, "A little mercy here will do a lot more for your image than a messy victory over unarmed people who can't fight back!"
Vincent gave Subaru an almost pitying look. "Have you forgotten the drought?"
"What about it? I thought I ended that."
"No. You pushed back the drought in a large part of the Westfold, and you bought us valuable time. But the desert continues to expand, and in a few years, they'll be right back where they started."
"So? I can just do it again!"
"Let's just imagine that I was of a mind to show mercy," Vincent said reflectively. "I set them free and let them go home. But many of their homes are now barren plains where nothing grows thanks to the expanding desert. So they become refugees and vagrants, fighting and stealing for every crust of bread they eat until they attempt to rob the wrong person and meet a violent end. Or fail to find food and slowly starve to death. It's more merciful to end them here rather than permit them to linger suffering for months."
Subaru took a deep breath and let it out slowly. " Or you could just let me use the staff to reclaim more land from the desert, " He said in a dangerous voice.
"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that, my friend," Vincent said fondly. "You've already done so much for our people."
Subaru seethed. "You mean, you can't risk your people looking at me as the one who protected and saved them instead of you! You 're worried that I'd create a rival political camp against the throne!"
Vincent actually laughed. "You have a remarkable political mind, Subaru Natsuki," He complimented him in a tone of delight as the Ironborn ran out of people to kill and the screaming from the ghetto died down. "I foresee a glorious career for you in the Empire."
As Subaru and Vincent argued, Garfiel lingered behind the others. He didn 't understand what was going on, but the screams of the dying made him sick to his stomach. He started walking back up the stairs toward the tomb gateway, hoping to get some distance between himself and the awful carnage below.
As he approached the summit, he heard the sound of running feet ahead of him, and he looked up to see Isabel making a mad dash for the tomb.
"Isabel!" He shouted, "What are you doing?!"
Isabel grabbed the lever just inside the gate. "I have to seal the tomb!"
"If you do that, you'll be trapped in there!" He shouted, running back up to her.
"I have no choice, Garfiel! I have to fulfill my mission even at the cost of my life! I must protect the Goddess until she awakens!" Isabel exclaimed, pulling the lever with all her strength.
The gate crashed shut just as Garfiel reached it. He pounded one fist on it in frustration, but it was unyielding.
"Shit!" Garfiel said in despair. "Isabel…"
A moment later, Garfiel 's mind processed what Isabel had actually said.
"Wait a second," He muttered in confusion. "I thought that… Did she just say 'protect' the witch?"
Garfiel 's sharp mind quickly reprocessed the conversations he'd had with Isabel over the past few days, now seeing them in an entirely different light.
"Oh boy," Garfiel whimpered. "I have a funny feeling that the Captain isn't going to be too happy with me…"
Garfiel bolted down the stairs to where Felt stood with a worried expression as she watched Subaru arguing with Vincent.
"Shrimp! I'm in big trouble! I think that I just did something really stupid!"
Felt sighed. "Garf, I have an idea. Why don't you just tell me when you don 't do something stupid? It will save a lot of time. "
"I'm serious, shrimp! I think that I might have just helped release a witch!"
Felt 's head snapped around, and she stared at Garfiel in disbelief. "Are you telling me that you managed to accidentally free another witch? "
Garfiel blinked. "Wait. What do you mean 'another?'"
Felt hesitated and then glanced away, looking awkward.
Isabel scurried down to the lowest level of the tomb, where she knelt before the pit of storm clouds. She shook her bag, noting the small supply of food and water that she 'd be living on for quite possibly the rest of her life.
Isabel pulled her medallion emblazoned with the sign of the rising sun out from under her collar, giving it a pious kiss, "Praise the Sun," she whispered.
She stared down into the crackling storm. "Merciful Goddess of the Forlorn," She whispered in reverence. "I am yours. I've ensured that no one will come to disturb you until you are prepared to return to this world. The world needs you, Goddess. You and all of your sisters. The elders speak of the return of a terrible evil, and they know that only the One who first brought light to this world can save it from eternal darkness."
Subaru stared at the sealed tomb gate, and he shook his head. " Garf …" He moaned.
"It's not his fault, Subaru!" Felt said in defense of the crestfallen Garfiel. "None of us noticed that somebody was sneaking into the tomb."
Subaru made a face and glanced down at the pyramid, where Vincent and Cecilus supervised the Ironborn in dismembering the rebel camp.
"So, Isabel was tricking you this whole time?" Subaru asked in a more neutral tone.
Garfiel frowned. "I… I don't know, Captain. It sounds stupid to say this, but I think that she was actually being straight with me. We just… I guess we were sort of talking past each other."
"You said that she was a renegade!" Felt protested.
"She was! Or at least she acted like it. I don't know. Everything that she did suggested that she was working against the other cultists and that she didn't want them to know what she was doing."
Subaru frowned. "So… wait a second. If Isabel really was a renegade and she wanted to free the witch, wouldn 't it suggest that the rest of the cultists didn 't want that? "
"But that makes no sense," Felt said at once. "Why would the Witch Cult be opposed to freeing someone that they worship?"
"It might still make sense," Garfiel mused. "Now that I think about it, I remember that there was supposed to be some kind of schism in the Witch Cult between the ones who worship the Witches and the ones who are actually afraid of them."
"How do you know that?" Subaru asked.
"It's from a book I read a long time ago," Garfiel answered. "Apparently, there was a guy who joined the cult and then got cold feet and tried to get out of it. He didn't live for very long after that, but before he died, he did tell one of his friends all of the things that he had learned while he was on the inside. He said that a large chunk of the folks in the cult don't actually worship the witches. They're just afraid of them. They may want to use their power for their own benefit but they don't want them free. And there's another big faction that seems to worship the Jealous Witch exclusively. Neither faction would want this witch set free."
"Which would imply that Isabel belongs to neither group," Subaru pointed out.
Garfiel nodded. "Well… she did act like she was separate from both."
Felt mulled that over. "OK. Well, assuming that's accurate then all of this would kind of make sense. Maybe the Cultists wanted to come here so they could strengthen the seal and keep the witch asleep. But Isabel 's people are true believers, and they send her here, willing to risk everything to awaken the witch."
Garfiel looked mournfully at the tomb. "Witch Cultist or not, Isabel was a nice girl," He admitted. "I hate the notion of her starving to death in there like that poor painter that we found."
Subaru gently squeezed his shoulder. "Remember, she can reopen the gate whenever she wants."
"Yeah. But will she? Will she take the risk of opening the gate and exposing the witch to outsiders even to save her life? Or will she just sit there and starve to protect her 'Goddess?'"
Subaru hesitated. "I don't know," He admitted.
"Um. Can I bring things back to a more pertinent question here?" Felt interjected. "That witch is going to break free now! What are we going to do about it?"
Subaru studied the sealed tomb carefully. "I don't know if we can do anything about it," He admitted.
"Seriously?!"
"Felt," Subaru pointed out, "We heard the draugr beating on the gateway trying to break in, but look at it! There's not even a scratch! If the Ironborn can't break in, I doubt that we can."
"According to Isabel, the only way to open the tomb from the outside is some kind of secret ritual that the Cult knows," Garfiel muttered.
Subaru made a face. "Well. Maybe we can squeeze it out of Regulus before we kill him," He muttered distractedly. "I'm sorry, guys, but the truth is, I don't have time for this right now. We need to get out of here and save Emilia!"
"Yeah, but Vincent doesn't look like he's in too big a hurry," Felt said ominously. "What will we do if he refuses?"
The same thought had been gnawing at Subaru, but he tried to push it away.
"Why would he?" He asked slowly. "I mean, Regulus had been stalking through the Empire like a natural disaster for generations. Vincent has nothing to lose and everything to gain by killing him. And breaking his promise to me would just make me furious and gain him nothing in exchange. Vincent has no reason to do that… right?" He asked uncertainly.
Garfiel and Felt glanced at one another, their faces worried.
Without a word from Vincent, the Ironborn were breaking apart the crude houses and were fashioning the materials into a large litter that could carry several people. The Ironborn worked so fast that their hands blurred. Working together, their craftsman was far superior to what you would expect from anyone but the most highly skilled artisans.
A half dozen Ironborn bore the litter on their shoulders by long poles. They carried it up the stairs and knelt so that Vincent could easily step onto it.
"Come along, Subaru," Vincent said in a friendly voice. "The Ironborn will bring us quickly to Prisca, and from there, we'll deal with Regulus once and for all."
Subaru sighed and stepped onto the litter with Felt and Garfiel.
"…Here we abide, doing service to your anointed hand, oh generous Goddess of Love and Devotion. We hope to earn your favor, and we trust in your gratitude when the great seal finally breaks and you walk this world again. Amen," 128 declared.
"Amen," All the wives echoed wearily.
The next morning, Emilia was kneeling on the cold floor, praising Regulus, who was sitting on his throne.
128 had already finished offering prayers of gratitude to Regulus, and as usual, his face grew sullen as he was forced to listen to the 128 praising the Witch instead.
I wonder why he doesn 't object. Maybe he thinks it would look bad for an Archbishop to forbid the worship of the Witch? Or maybe he thinks it would undercut his own position?
Some of the wives started to get up, apparently thinking that prayers were complete, but they all froze as 128 continued.
"Today, we offer our humble gratitude to the coming dawn," 128 said with reverence. "The once and future King long prophesied and now finally come to bring balance and harmony to this world. We bow our heads to the Child of the Unconquered Sun. We pray that the Goddess will soon unite with her betrothed so that together, they may lead this world and all others into a new golden age. We pray for the union of Envy and Pride. That the boy Subaru shall find the wisdom and determination to bring the dawn and the long-awaited revelation. We-"
"What… do you think that you're doing?" Regulus whispered.
The wives all tensed. Regulus 's face was utterly shocked. The mere act of mentioning Subaru by anyone else would ordinarily have reduced him to inarticulate fury on the spot. But from 128, his most loyal servant, it was so shocking that he could only sit there and stare at her open-mouthed.
128 looked sincerely puzzled. "Master, I'm simply honoring the holders of the Divine Authorities as our teachings demand. We must show honor to all of you who have been so blessed by our Goddess as to be her hands in this world."
Regulus seethed. "That… boy is no Archbishop! He 's a nobody! You insult me by speaking his name in my presence! " He said in a thunderous voice, bolting to his feet.
The wives quivered in fear before Regulus 's fury, but 128 responded calmly. "Master… that is true. He is not an Archbishop. Such a title is not his."
"Precisely," Regulus growled, looking momentarily mollified.
"The prophecies speak of the coming of the Dawn," 128 continued. "When the Sun shall rise, and the world will kneel before its rightful king: The King of Pride. The absolute master of the Order. The Unconquered Sun shall return, and all shall be as it once was."
"King? King?!" Regulus protested incredulously. "What King? Since when has there ever been a King of the Order?!"
For the first time, 128 looked slightly uncomfortable. "Forgive your unworthy servant, Master. But the legends of the King loom large in the sacred texts. The King is as far beyond the Goddesses as they are beyond their anointed Archbishops. Our time of glory approaches, Master, and you will be there to help secure it."
Regulus 's jaw dropped. He stared at 128, and he struggled to control his temper. "128… You will never mention that name in my home again. Nor any other! From this moment on, I alone am worthy of your worship! You will never again pray to the misty shadows of that long-forgotten witch! I am your Master! And from now on, I demand to be referred to as King! The King … of Greed!" He finished awkwardly.
128 hesitated. Her silence grew protracted.
Regulus 's face turned bright red when 128 didn't immediately agree. "128," He hissed.
128 bent down and placed her face against the floor. "Forgive me, Master. But I cannot," She said sorrowfully. "To refer to you as a being above our Blessed Goddess would be the highest blasphemy. And to equate you with our ultimate master would be even more unforgivable. Forgive me, Master. I worship and adore you with every fiber of my being, but I could never commit such an act of impiety."
Regulus trembled. "You… You refuse me? " He whispered. "Your lord? Your savior ?! "
128 continued to press her forehead against the hard stones. "I would never disrespect you, Master. But I cannot be untrue to our faith. I sense your anger, Master. Please punish me. Satiate your anger on my unworthy flesh. With each blow, may I rise again, chastened and renewed, to enter your service with fresh zeal and determination."
Regulus glowered down at her. He leaped off his throne and brought his fist down on 128 's head. A moment later, her body slumped. An enormous blood spray emerged from where 128's neck once was.
The other wives all jumped to their feet, crying out in horror and backing away from the enraged tyrant.
"Silence!" Regulus thundered.
The wives were immediately quiet.
Regulus 's eyes blazed with hatred. "This… this pestilence that spreads through my perfect, happy home, " Regulus seethed. "…I know the cause."
Before Emilia could even move, Regulus sprang toward her. He caught her neck in his hand and lifted her high over his head.
Emilia couldn 't breathe. She desperately tried to pry his hands off her neck.
If he squeezes any harder, he might break the collar! She thought desperately. A moment later, she realized, If he squeezes any harder, he might break my neck!
"I… am so very tired… of all of your selfish, disobedient lies," Regulus snarled. "I will not tolerate them any longer! You will atone for your falsehoods right now!" He thundered.
Emilia twisted and flailed, desperately trying to draw breath.
"Tell them, 64!" Regulus demanded, pointing at the wives. "Tell them that you lied! Tell them that you lied about all of it! Your foolish, disgusting paramour has no Authority! Say it!"
Emilia coughed and gasped. "I lied! There is…. No Authority!" She choked out. "Subaru… has nothing…."
Regulus turned to the other wives, his expression dangerous and expectant.
246 was staring at 128 's body in horror. It took a moment for her attention to snap back to Regulus. "Of course, Master," The redhead said in an unsteady tone. "We… We knew that she was lying from the start."
"…We never believed her," 117 whispered, looking shell-shocked.
"…It's impossible," Sylvie agreed.
"…She was obviously lying," 42 said.
Regulus 's eyes narrowed at the unconvincing performance, but then his face twisted in frustration as she sensed that pushing further would only make him look weak.
Regulus dropped Emilia and fell to the hard floor with a bruising thud. She lay there, gasping for breath.
Regulus marched back to his throne and sat down, his face black as a storm cloud. "Get to work!" He shouted.
The wives hesitated, and they looked at each other helplessly.
Regulus leaned forward, his eyes wild. "What are you all waiting for? Get back to work!"
246 trembled. "Master… forgive us, but… without your head wife… who will assign us our tasks?"
Regulus looked increasingly frustrated that he had to concern himself with these matters. "You. You're the new head wife," He said indifferently. "Now, get them all out of my sight!"
246 nodded desperately. "I… Yes, Master… We… 117, sweep the parlor! 42, do the gardening!" She cried out in a near panic. "Uh… 78 do the dusting! No, wait! I… Everybody, just move ! "
The wives scattered as fast as they could, leaving Regulus sulking on his throne, his expression livid. No one dared to enter the room even to remove 128 's now headless body.