With the High Empress of Valhalla and the others left to the frontlines for battle, Cynthia has been appointed the acting governor of the city of Eiseinheim, in charge of all major matters and decisions until Morrigan’s return. Maybe it was best this way as she was not the type of person who has ever held a weapon in her life nor was she a great war strategist to be able to help and give council to the already experienced generals. Well at least, that was the image people had of the Luna Priestess. The truth however was a bit different.
From conspiring against the royal crown of Malatas together with Odium and Aldol, to planning and executing the death of minister Owen, her malevolence and wickedness knew no bounds. To Cynthia, others were simply there to be her pawns. What was even worse was that this woman was prepared to do anything to achieve her goal. Not many would be willing to accept the deal of some demon lord and yet she was willing to do it without batting an eye. An audacious move or a foolish one? Only time would tell.
But that vicious woman has begun to change, little by little. The façade she has created for herself has started to become the real thing. All this was thanks to the influence of a certain individual by her side, the same person she once saw as nothing more than a peon. That same peon has now become a faithful knight that has not only broken her rancorous shell but also stolen her heart, the thing she assumed to be lost a long time ago.
“Thank you for your work today, gentlemen! We will resume our discussion tomorrow.” The priestess addressed the council that was currently sitting around a large round table inside the court chamber.
With everyone leaving the room, Cynthia gave out a long sigh as she loosened up and rested her tired body on the bench. The job of handling all the babbling nobles with their rituals and politics was far more onerous than she thought it would be, especially when you wanted to do things right and not just for your own sake. All these years, Cynthia has been playing the Game for herself only and she was good at it, even though her faction only gained real power after Odium’s arrival. But right now, replacing Morrigan and with the aim of a peaceful negotiation in mind that worked for all parties was much more difficult than just crushing them flat. Indeed, she has changed.
“Are you alright, lady Cynthia?” Luvik walked inside the chamber after waiting for all the ministers and members of the council leave.
“…..” The priestess turned her head and looked sternly at the confused knight without uttering a word. Though her eyes were hidden by the sun headpiece she was wearing, Luvik could somehow feel her eyes staring down at him as he understood what she meant by that silence.
“I mean…are you alright, Cynthia?”
“I am fine, Luvik. It must be boring for you to have to stay behind with me while your comrades are going to the battlefield….I am sorry for holding you here.” Cynthia said.
“Please don’t say that! While it is regrettable that I cannot join my fellow soldiers in battle, I have my own duty to uphold given to me by her Highness. And that is to be by your side.” Luvik spoke firmly.
“Does that mean you only stayed because Empress Morrigan ordered you too?”
“…I…Uhmm…A knight’s opinion does not matter in face of his duty. He will do as he was instructed.” Luvik uttered awkwardly, cleaning his throat as he tried to change the subject.
“Can’t you be a little more honest with yourself, Luvik? Or do you want me to say it?”
“...Well I would be lying if I say that my reasoning to stay by your side is not something personal…And by that I mean, you are a wonderful individual with...exceptional talents. It’s an honor for any knight and not just me to have the opportunity to serve you.” the knight spoke in words that were clearly not his own but rather picked out from a book he read. And seeing such an experienced knight fidgeting like a little girl who was at lost for words could be said to be an entirely new experience. But that didn’t please the priestess one bit.
“Luvik!” Cynthia raised her voice, making her supposed to be bodyguard settling firmly.
“…Because you are special…to me.” He blurted out.
“How special?” Cynthia teased, grinning.
“..Special….special in my heart…as a woman.” The knight uttered in a low voice but enough for the priestess to hear it. Unlike one would expect, she was the one who tried to tease him but instead got caught in her own scheme as at the moment, she was the one flustering the most.
With her cheeks turning red from what seemed to be an indirect confession, but a confession nonetheless. Cynthia tried to cover her face with her sleeves.
“Cynthia?” seeing her unusual behavior, Luvik approached the confounded woman who refused to show him her face. “What’s wrong?” He asked in a concerned tone, attempting to reach out to her.
“Nothing!” she affirmed but her voice betrayed that confidence in herself. It was then that Luvik suddenly realized what he has just said and what it implied before turning red too.
“I apologize. I have overstepped my bounds. Please forgive me!” said the knight who did not dare look at Cynthia straight. “It must be distasteful to for someone of lowly stature like me to have the audacity to say that in your face…”
“No…It’s not like I hate it….” The woman uttered. Her cheeks were getting a bit too warm for her to hide them behind these sleeves.
Hearing it, Luvik’s face brightened. “Should I take it as a yes?”
“…If you don’t ask me properly, I won’t be able to answer.”
What Luvik did next was something she did not expect at all. Reaching out to his pocket, the knight revealed a jade bracelet, somewhat old looking but still had a faint brilliance surrounding it. Swiping his blue cape as he kneeled down before the priestess who was staggered when she realized what he was about to do, Luvik showed her the bracelet and spoke.
“This bracelet belonged to my mother and her mother before her. It’s the heirloom of the Centura family, to be given to the one who will be married to the eldest son. Miss Cynthia, would you grant me the pleasure of being your partner in in life? I don’t have much richness but I promise that I will make you happy.”
“!!! This…This…” Cynthia found herself lost for words. “A..A...”
“You don’t have to answer immediately. I know this a perhaps a bit too sudden on my part so please take all the time you need! We are in the middle of a war so things can always get out of hands. That’s why I want to make sure I have no regret in case I…”
“NO! Don’t say that! Please…” Cynthia shouted at her knight.
“Miss Cynthia, life goes by faster than we think it is. And the problem is, it never waits for anyone. But it’s not the end we should constantly worry about. It’s the journey that leads us to it that matters.
What we are currently doing, it will change the world forever. For the first time in history, peace seems this close. It is within our grasp. As for me, I want to make that future come true, not just for myself but also for the next generations.
Don’t you agree?’ inquired Luvik.
“...Since when did you get so poetic all of the sudden?” asked Cynthia.
“It’s just some stuff I read during my free time.” Luvik scratched his head to hide his embarrassment.
“I didn’t know you are the kind of man to read this type of book. How come?”
“Because I want to be someone worthy of you…You may not know this but people see you as their idol. You have stolen the hearts of many including me, some are far more prestigious than I could ever be. But I don’t want to give up. I want to improve myself so that one day I can be proud in saying that I am worthy to be by your side.”
“…You did all that for me?”
“It’s because I love you. That’s why I am prepared to do anything for you.”
“…”
“…”
“Luvik, I….”
“Miss Cynthia, like I said, you don’t have to answer it now. It has been a tiring day for you so you should go to rest. If it bothers you that much, please ignore what I have said! I am here to help you, not to add even more burdens to what you already have.”
“It’s not that…it’s just…”
“I will wait for you outside, miss Cynthia. When you are ready to go back, just call for me!” Luvik went out the door after putting his precious bracelet on the table in front of Cynthia, leaving the priestess by herself who was still shocked by what just happened.
Deep inside, she was happy, incredibly happy. Though it was unexpected, that was not the reason why she seemed reluctant. In her mind, the word “yes” has been said a million times already. Even now, it resounded in her head like an echo of her conscience, telling her to do it. Normally she would. Of course she wanted to. But something was holding her back, something dreadful that has haunted her for days. That doubt has been sticking in her mind ever since she began to change. And now with what Luvik just said, it turned into fear.
‘…What will you do?’ a voice uttered in her mind. It was the demon lord Sullivan who has been connecting to her thanks to Odium’s experiment and the black crystal shard embedded on her chest.
‘…Sullivan, there is something I need to tell you…’ the priestess said.
‘What is this?’
‘I want to cancel our deal, the deal I made with you demon lords.’
‘…And why is that?’
‘I changed my mind. I no longer wish for the destruction of this world anymore.’ Replied Cynthia.
‘Is this because of him?’
‘….’ She remained silent.
‘I kind of expect that since the day you kissed him. You changed, Cynthia.’
‘I may have changed but I will continue to assist Alastor with his plan. He too desires peace, unlike the rest of you and I will make sure his plan will succeed. Considering the current situation, there is no way your vision could become true.’
‘So this is the end, huh?’ asked the dwarf.
‘Yes! I won’t listen to you or anyone anymore. From now on, I will decide my own fate. And that’s to work for a better future, a peaceful vision…alongside Luvik.’
‘…I see. That’s regrettable. And here I have started to be fond of you…Such a pity!’
‘I guess this is the part where you kill me? Just like Aldol, I am no longer of use to you anymore so it’s in your best interest to get rid of me.’ Said the Luna priestess.
‘So that’s why you didn’t accept his proposal. You knew you are going to die soon…You don’t want to make him sad.’ Uttered Sullivan.
‘It’s unavoidable that he will be sad. But at the very least, he won’t be bound to me. This bracelet….it deserves to be in the hands of someone better than me. I am a broken doll, defiled by all…A leftover…I have no right to be by his side, no matter how much I want to.’
‘…..’
‘Just do it, before he gets back! But if you can, please make it so I could still look the same as I am now! I don’t want his last image of me to be a bloody mess.’
‘Very well! This is goodbye, Cynthia. It was fun…while it lasted.’
A painful ache came from Cynthia’s chest as she clenched her fist to prepare herself. It was hot and hard to breath. Struggling against the pain as she tried to remain on the chair, Cynthia awaited her inevitable end.
“Goodbye Luvik! I love you too!”
…..
It has been a while since Luvik has come out of the room and waited for Cynthia to come out. Even now, he could not believe what he has said to her. Did he regret it? A little as he was afraid she might reject him and their relationship could take a sour turn. But if he had the chance to rewind time, he would still do it. For he could no longer hide his feelings from her anymore. Whatever how this would play out, he would embrace it and respect her decision.
However, she has taken quite some time now. Just what was she doing inside by herself? Could it be that she has left already? Impossible! Luvik was waiting for her right at the entrance. In no way he could have missed her. Curious and a little worried, Luvik decided to knock on the door.
“Milady, are you there?”
No answer.
“Please excuse me!” the knight opened the door slightly and peeked through the gap as he looked around for his mistress. She was not there, not even in her seat. Storming inside, the knight called out to her.
“Cynthia? Where are you? Cynthia!”
As he approached the chair she was sitting on earlier, which was on the other side of the room hidden by the large table, Luvik stumbled across a white figure lying on the ground motionless.
“CYNTHIA!!!” Luvik rushed to her side and crouched down as he lied down her head on his arm. “What happened? Answer me, Cynthia!!!”
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
…..
Inside this darkness, a small line of light stretched itself, revealing the most brilliant light they have seen. The figure started to open her eyes.
“..wh..what…Luvik?” Cynthia uttered with a confused expression.
“I am here, Cynthia. What happened?”
“I…how come I still…?”
At that moment, the priestess felt a sudden relief on her chest. Something has fell off from her body. A great burden has been lifted from her. Reaching inside her cloth, Cynthia took out the dark crystal in her hand.
‘From now on, you are free. I wish you find your happiness, Cynthia.’ And with it, Sullian’s voice vanished from Cynthia’s mind as it echoed one final time.
* * *
It was said that the moonstone owned by the sea dragons of Oros held mysterious powers that remained unknown even till this day. Abalone’s was no exception. In addition to her arsenal of spells using the stone as a catalyst, it also allowed her to communicate telepathically with animals and sometimes even monsters. And among those creatures Abalone could speak to, there was one who decided to accompany her in her journey from west to east, north to south, to each and every corner of the world: Heru the gyrfalcon.
Using their psionic bond, Abalone was able to command him and use him as her eyes on the sky both figuratively and literally. And now, Heru has just returned from his scouting tour.
“Thank you, Heru!” the gyrfalcon landed on Abalone’s arm.
“SKREAAKKK (eagle screaming)”
“You never cease to surprise me with your magic. First a human transformation then this…Now I understand why so many seek your stone.” Commented Alastor.
“There is that but Heru is a bit special. I raised him ever since he was still an egg. In a way, he sees me as his mother or at least a motherly figure.” Abalone said.
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“A dragon adopting a gyrfalcon? What an interesting combination! Can he do something else aside from talking with you?” asked Alastor.
“We have a few other tricks but I would rather not show you yet. Let’s say it’s a secret of the trade! Hihi!” grinned the dragoness.
“Fair enough! So did he find something interesting?” said the demon lord.
“He saw a large camp not that far from here to the west. Also a series of unusually tall towers clustering together to form a city…So that’s the fabled Canaan, The City of Firmament Spires I have heard so much about.” Abalone spoke as she remembered the vision she saw through Heru’s eyes.
“Ah yes, it’s also your first time coming here yeah? How does it feel?”
“It feels a bit strange, knowing that this was once the home of my people and now I am probably the one of the sea dragons wandering around in Oros. But enough of me babbling over my sensitivity!” Abalone turned to the little girl who has joined the group after they landed on the dragon continent. Awkwardly, the emerald haired girl was holding on to Abalone’s arms to hide herself from Alastor…or rather the person by his side. “Will you let go of me already? What’s wrong with you?”
“What is wrong with me?” Syralth uttered out loud. “What’s wrong with her?” the little draconian pointed at Stella.
“What do you mean?” asked Alastor. “Why do you sound so afraid of Stella?”
“Because she is scary!!!” said Syralth.
“Scary? Stella? What made you say that?” inquired the boy curiously. It was true that he noticed Syralth’ strange behavior around the doll ever since she joined them in search for Kaiser. At first, nothing seemed out of place then suddenly, Syralth would refuse to stay anywhere near the doll even though she did not do anything to her. “Stella, did you do something to her?”
“I merely touched her shoulder from behind earlier. It might have startled her a bit….I am sorry.” Stella apologized.
“Oh come on, Syralth! Stella already apologized and it’s not such a big deal. Don’t be so grumpy!” Abalone commented.
“It’s not that!!! It’s…just…” Syralth flustered.
“Just what?” Alastor questioned.
“Her hands are scary….I think….” The little girl spoke.
“Her hands?” Alastor uttered before realizing what she meant by that. “I told you that Stella is a doll so her hands are slightly different from us. Still, she is someone I hold dear and a member of my family. Therefore, I would appreciate if you don’t consider her as a doll.”
“It’s not that either…AAA none of you will understand…She is..scary!!!!” Syralth threw tantrum.
“…..*sigh* To think this is Celdora’s daughter…I hope her father is not like this…” Alastor sighed and decided to ignore the little draconian.
“Well we are going to see him soon if he is with this Kaiser person you are looking for. Don’t worry! You will meet both of them tomorrow.” Abalone reassured.
“I hope so too.”
* * *
As the war between Ceadric and Valhalla finally began, the beastmen have been mobilizing their troops toward the battlefield to aid their ally. Meanwhile, the two sides of the sea of Levianux remained in a strained atmosphere as a battle could potentially take place at any time. The fleets of Ceadric have been deployed but in the end decided to stay idle in the coasts of the main continent to avoid entering conflict with the demons of Ragna. After all, Ragna remained an unknown factor in this conflict because of the lack of intelligence about their army and the extent of their abilities. There was a reason the demon continent has managed to stay unconquered till this day and no one was foolish enough to blindly charge at them.
And yet at the moment, there was one single ship that was heading toward the demon continent without having any escort ship to defend itself except for its superior speed compared to the other ships. Onboard, the crew consisted of a number of veteran adventurers, the best money could buy. In addition to the already experienced crew and the fastest ship in the world, its appointed leader and captain was perhaps one of the most scheming individual as the person who has demanded this expedition: the mysterious merchant Meto, also known as Mephisto the leader of the four royal demon guards.
As part of the deal with Goldbeard, Meto claimed that he had a way to make sure that the army of Ragna would not bother Ceadric and their war. That was easy for the man who was the leader of the demon royal guards. However, it was not the fact that Ragna would stay idle that Meto needed to show to Goldbeard, it was how he did it that could prove his supposed allegiance and ability to the dwarf in order to gain his trust. Some kind of proof was needed and Meto must be the one who would provide that. And he got a plan.
“Sir Meto, we are approaching the continent of Ragna. Are you sure about this?” Asked a mercenary.
“Of course! This secret route will allow us to go straight to the central part of Ragna without being detected by the patrols. Just follow the coast as I have indicated on the map!” Said Meto.
“Amazing! How did you find out about this route?”
“I used to smuggle slaves from Ragna to Cedra as part of my business. For ten years I have not been discovered once. Trust me on this!” Meto reassured.
“You used to be a slaver? That’s nice. May I ask if you are still in the business?”
“Why? Are you interested in acquiring one?” Inquired Meto.
“One or two actually. I have been trying to find some slavers that deal with demon slaves but those things are difficult to get by these days, especially after the harbor village in Ragna was destroyed a few months ago. And you know how everything went to shit recently…”
“...If you don’t mind me asking, why do you seek to have demon slaves? Aren’t human slaves much easier to find?” Meto changed his tone but not enough to raise suspicion.
“Hehe it’s embarrassing but I used to have a demon as a pet but I had to sell her a while ago. Such a pity since she was the cutest thing ever. If you ask me, demon slaves are much more obedient to have around since they don’t have anywhere else to go anyway.”
“Sell her?” asked Meto.
“Yeah! I was in debts to some guys. Had no way to pay off until I saw the request at the Guild in Cedra asking for demon blood. As regrettable as it was, I had to do it or they would kill me for that.”
“That is not selling her. You killed her!” Meto raised his voice.
“Well it’s not like she is going to sell for a better price anymore. I have to admit that I played around a bit too hard with her so I was lucky that the guy was only interested in blood and not in the body. Anyway, I thought I can always get another one so it’s not like I would miss her for too long.”
“...I see...Then after this, I am sure I can spare a few for you fine gentleman. For now, let’s focus on our mission!” Meto uttered.
“Of course! So the plan is to kidnap the prince of the demons, correct?” The mercenary spoke.
“Yes. By having one of their leaders as our hostage, they will not dare to do anything against us if they wish for him to be unharmed. Simple but effective.”
“Incredible! Though I didn’t even know that the demons have a prince.”
“Of course you won’t. They tried to keep this fact a secret only known to the highest ranks demons. I was lucky to have stumbled across this knowledge in the past. Although I would never expect that this info would be one day useful to me.” Meto explained.
After having landed onto the continent, the group followed Meto in his secret route. To make sure that they still had a way back, Meto decided to leave half the group and took the most powerful members with him to the expedition, including the mercenary from earlier. Within just a few hours, they found a hidden keep deep inside the forest of Ragna. From a glance, it was clear that the fortress was heavily guarded and perhaps too much for their number. But there was no need for any confrontation as Meto also knew of a secret passage that would lead them straight inside this keep where the prince resided.
Following the small hidden passage, the group found themselves in front of a luxurious chamber with red carpet and golden goblets. Peeking through the small gap of the door, they looked out for their target.
A small figure was held in the hands of a little girl sitting on a golden chair. Unlike what we would expect from a prince of such expensive castle, it was a roundish blue thing that looked nothing like a human but more like a monster. Two beautiful maids were by his side, each holding a pink feathered fan ruffling a gentle wind to the monster’s face. Next to the chair stood a grand beastmen wielding an impressive looking axe that seemed to have been through countless battles.
“Hehehehe this is what I call life! Beautiful maiden serving me from day to night, don’t you think so, Naberius?” Asked the prince.
“Your words are most wise, milord!” Said the beastman.
“What about you Amelia?” the small thing turned toward the little wearing a black witch outfit holding him on her legs.
“Your mighty squishiness is unrivaled by all my prince!” the girl spoke in a gentle manner with a smile. Yet, for a second, it seemed like she just wanted to crush the thing she was holding but ended up holding back. Though no one saw that moment of disparity in her attitude as all the men outside were only concerned about their jealousy toward the damned prince who had beautiful women and a strong looking bodyguard even though he was just perhaps the weakest thing they ever saw.
“Your Majesty, it is time for your meal. Would you like to accompany us to the dinner room?” asked a maid.
“Nah I want to eat right here.” The prince answered.
“But there are more than one hundred courses. I am afraid this room won’t be enough to…” commented the other maid.
“And? Is there a problem?” the blue thing spoke arrogantly. “Naberius and Amelia can help you bring them all here.”
“Shouldn’t we stay by your side, your Highness?” asked Amelia.
“No need! Besides you will be just gone for a few minutes. It’s not like something could possibly happen during that short time. Now go, all of you! I am hungry.”
“Quickly, hide!” Meto whispered to the men as they skillfully jumped to the ceiling. Thanks to their mage, the small group was able to stay up there sticking to the ceiling while remaining invisible and undetected by the demons as they walked out of the room, leaving their prince by himself behind.
“Now it’s our chance! Grab him!” Meto ordered.
In just a matter of seconds, the veteran group of mercenaries stormed into the group.
“What? Who are…?” Before the prince could even speak, Meto has snagged the small figure into a large pouch.
“Now quick, we must get out before they….”
“…My prince, I forgot to ask if you prefer…..INTRUDERS!!!” Naberius shouted upon spotting the men.
“RUN!” Meto yelled.
Immediately, the group jumped out of the windows and landed right outside the castle. Lucky for them, it was only from the second floor and that was too easy for people with skills like them. However, here came the demon guards.
“They kidnapped the prince! KILL THEM!” Naberius jumped down and ordered the soldiers to pursuit the trespassers.
“Spread out! We will regroup at the chosen location!” said Meto to the rest before each of them took off in another direction.
Despite their high level of skills, it was a bit strange for the demon guards to not be able to catch up with them. Perhaps for normal soldiers but the same could not be said for someone like Naberius.
Alas, Meto was the first to have reached the location the group has decided before. Followed right behind him was the mercenary he spoke to on the boat, the one who asked him for demon slaves. His arrival here could be said to be perfect.
“Oh sir Meto, I see that you have arrived first. Is that prince guy still in the pouch?” the mercenary pointed at the pouch on the ground by Meto’ side.
“Oh he is!” the devil kicked the sack.
“Ouch! Damn you! I demand that you let me go this instant or else Naberius will chop your head off.” The prince spoke from inside.
“Shut up!” Meto kicked the sack again.
“Perfect! So we just need to wait for the others right?”
“Indeed! But first we have something to discuss…” Meto spoke in a serious tone.
“About what?”
“About how I should deal with you!
Without warning, the mercenary’s body felt an intense fear as every inch of his body became paralyzed before falling down. Yet he was still conscious of his surrounding with his sight and hearing as the only senses left.
“You can come out now Naberius!” Mephisto spoke to the void.
A large figure walked out from the bushes. The beastman walked toward the two and put down the giant axe right in front of the mercenary’s face, making him almost pissing himself.
“What do you need?” asked Naberius. “The others will come here in just a few minutes so we don’t have much time.”
“It won’t take that long. Can you bring him to the leech girls? Tell them that this is a present from me as part of their agreement to join our causes! Also tell them they can expect for more in the future!” said Mephisto with a devilish grin.
“That’s not a problem but you are sure about that? Why risk this much just to kill one guy?”
“I am merely giving him the opportunity to see things from another perspective.” Mephisto turned to the horrified man on the ground. “You will be their pet…and their nourishment. Every day they will suck you dry, yet enough to leave you barely alive. After a while, you will wish that you were killed….but we won’t give you that chance. You still spend the rest of your life as a pet for what you did to that girl!
You can take him!”
“Why such a harsh treatment? I understand he is bad but why not just kill him already?” asked Naberius.
“You don’t understand, Naberius. He is one of those who helped Sanctus in their experimentation on the orphans. I don’t care for his reason, whether he did it unknowingly or voluntarily. All vermin linked to Sanctus must be expunged from the surface of the world.” Meto spoke in anger.
“Are you still hung up on the past after all?”
“I will never forget, Naberius. Never! What they did to those children…to MY CHILDREN! I raised all of them as my own and yet they did that to them. I won’t stop until each and every last one of them is eradicated. The world will be a better place without their filthy bloodline.” Mephisto raged. This was perhaps the most emotional moment Naberius has seen in his friend even though they have known each other for more than a decade. Exhaling heavily, the devil fixed his voice. “…My apologies! That was out of line of me. You can take him now. Do it quick before they get here!”
“…I will.” Naberius took the paralyzed mercenary on his shoulder who was crying out of fear of what was going to happen to him. “Take care, Mephisto! Be safe!”
“…I will!”