Chapter 04 [arc zero]

“The woman I jumped into died soon after, but I got a good look at her. She’s young and was carrying what looked to be a game of kind based on our world. I believe wherever she is, wars never happened, and the nation is at peace with itself. Humanity never felt the need to strengthen and forgo their bodies. She’s living a life free of pain and is oblivious to her true identity.” The shaman finished her tale and the surrounding screens flickered briefly. Her face looked troubled as she waited for their reaction.

The king nodded and crossed his arms. It was a lot to take in, honestly. Not only was the maiden in another world, but her world was free of the famine and tragedy that affected him. “How can we get her here?” The man knew it was wrong to take someone by force, but he didn’t have much of a choice. They needed her desperately.

With a slow blink of her emotionless, black eyes, the shaman answered. Her screens began to slowly spell out the words, the letters sliding upward to form a proper sentence. She coughed and her apprentice frowned with a quick worried glance directed her way. “We would need to get her a proper host. Her current body wouldn’t be capable of existing in our world healthily. The transportation would sense her mind into shambles.”

“You will use the slave girl. She’s young enough and a healing bed should make her healthy.” The shaman coughed and stopped talking to regain her breath. Her apprentice came close to put the back of her hand against her forehead and then helped her sit up straighter. Each movement was gentler than the next.

Lilibet chewed on some gum and blew a bubble. It popped before she bothered to share her opinion on the matter. From the way she was acting, he could tell she had a lot on her mind. “Are you going to take the girl before the ritual and what, expect the maiden to understand your actions? Come on, boss.” The bombshell blonde flexed one of her hands and scowled. Her pinky nail was chipped from walking into the jagged home.

“I don’t, but we don’t have much of a choice here, Lili. We’ve found her and all that’s stopping us is one slave girl. Someone with no education and purpose stands in the way of our maiden. That girl would live a life in filth, so having her quietly be erased is a merciful end in my eyes.” His words were bitter. He discarded the young girl’s existence harshly, but compared to the maiden, it was nothing more than garbage.

“Okay, she’s erased, and the maiden replaces her. How do you think she’ll adjust to being nothing more than property all of a sudden? A life where she’s covered in bruises and starved for some man’s amusement? She won’t accept anything we say if her current life is loving in comparison.” The words were just as cold in an uncaring tone. He knew the blonde didn’t mind the morals of the actions, just the realism of committing them.

“The maiden doesn’t need to accept my methods for the plan to work. I don’t care about that.” The king cracked his knuckles and swiftly got ready to leave. “What I care about is having her under my control.”

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Eyebrow raises. "And you think you can keep a woman with that DNA under control?" She smacked her gum with a look of disbelief.

He gave her a bored eye roll and waved her off. "No, but that won't matter. I'm sure she will see my point of view after some months with me."

“Hm. Alright, we’ll see how that works out.” Lilibet replied with a playful little push. The man had trouble believing that she had been a human once upon a time. And a spiteful one at that who hated his guts.

The ogre king knew that he needed to plan. The mysterious woman had to be protected from outsiders. The king would have the sacrificial maiden in his sole possession after so long. The man had waited for her and she finally was in his grasp. His fingers itched as he wondered how people would react. His parents, who had long passed, would have felt overjoyed. They would goad him to snatch him away from that other world all for himself. The entire royal family and their loyalists would be over the moon. But others might have an issue with the manipulation he was planning. Such as Lilibet, who didn't give a damn about the maiden after being alive for so long.

The blonde woman would follow him, of course, but her heart wouldn't be involved. To the dim demon, securing and controlling the maiden was another night doing paperwork. He didn't know whether that was a good thing long term. But for now, he'd accept her ignorance. The man also needed her for the mundane things he didn't know a woman would want. Lilibet could help buy clothing that was fashionable and makeup that would fit the maiden's complexion. Also, he could give the maiden a companion to talk to. Someone that would make the mysterious girl feel that she was loved and wanted before he exposed her to the world.

The man knew from experience potential maidens could become depressed easily. The isolation affected them deeply, as they were the only human in a sea of demons. When they managed to develop relationships with others, they were often one-sided or unhealthy. The women would find themselves being worshiped without their consent by potential friends. Or worse, used to gain power and status. Sacrificial Maidens were regarded as holy beings that blessed demons with their abilities. Finding them was hard enough, so pleasing them was even harder. They became lonely and lost in the new reality their birthright opened up to them.

Despite the natural weaknesses their human bodies gave them, the maidens could be unstoppable. A sacrificial maiden never stayed dead. If they killed her, another would take her place. They existed in an endless cycle of rebirth that he never understood. Countless men of human and demon kind tried to figure it out but failed. It would take centuries to find her, but the knowledge of her existence made their enemies shake with rage. And now that he was aware of them being reborn into new worlds, the king realized they broke barriers with their strength. Knowing that a woman like that would be in his palace, in his cage, made his mouth water.

The ogre king knew it wasn't just his demon characteristics making him so feral. He found himself becoming possessive of the thought of her being real. Her appearance didn't matter, he would get her a beautiful body to exist in. And when she was settled, he'd tell her everything. He would instruct her on how to hone her abilities and lead her to success. He wiped at his mouth, feeling his scarred lips curl into a grin. It was amazing to feel so strongly about a person. The idea of her arrival made him feel like he was insane.