Ugh... my head hurts... what happened...?
I rub my temples as I slowly regain consciousness, trying to recall the cause for such a headache. But before I could recall what had happened, I was interrupted by a concerned voice.
"Is something the matter, Mistress?"
"Huh?... Huh?"
I was surprised twice in a row. The first was by the word 'Mistress', uttered by a familiar feminine voice. The second was the also familiar voice that supposedly came from my mouth.
"Oh. I'm in the game?"
The voice which came from my mouth once again confirmed my suspicions. I must've been in my female game character in the game [A New World]. On further inspection of my surroundings, I found that I was in the throne room of my guild hall, the Black Citadel.
"Mistress?"
I turn to look at the owner of the voice, finding myself looking down at a worried but familiar face. Yuriel, one of my ten guild Guardians, was kneeling down with one knee in front of me.
"Janice...? Is that you?"
"Pardon, Mistress? It is I, Yuriel, one of your four wives."
"...Huh?"
I rub my eyes, making sure this wasn't a hallucination.
"Ha. Ha. Real funny, Janice. Or should I say, Gabriel."
I state the name of the voice's owner. Gabriel was the game character of Janice, one of my apprentices before I retired, and someone important to me. I designed Yuriel to look exactly the same as Gabriel, only instead of being a normal angelic Seraph, Yuriel was a Fallen Seraph.
"Mistress? Gabriel is my twin sister."
Yuriel, or Janice in disguise, gives me a questioning look. Hah! You can't fool me! Yuriel is a guild Guardian NPC that can't speak! Hmm, alright then! Two can play at that game!
"Right, right. Oh, and since you're my wife, I'm sure you won't mind if I played with your breasts!"
"Certainly, Mistress."
"H-huh?"
Countering my expectations, Yuriel stands up and moves towards the throne I sat in without hesitation. She bends her body slightly forward, placing two small mounds covered by a thin layer of black fabric in front of me. I look towards Yuriel's face once more, her expression not having the least bit of hesitation.
"This is your last chance, Janice. I'll really do it!"
"Um, pardon for my rudeness, Mistress, but who is this Janice?"
"...You asked for it!"
Soft... mm... fits perf- wait. Shit. My face starts producing small droplets as I shift my gaze upwards. However, unlike the wrathful face I expected to find, Yuriel's face held a blushing and lustful expression.
"Janice...?"
"Ahn... Why did you stop, Mistress..."
Who the fuck are you?! Is what I wanted to shout. The person in front of me most definitely was not the Janice I know. But then, who would have the authority to access a NPC? Unless one of the other game developers replicated Janice's voice, which was highly unlikely, then it was most definitely Janice. Ah, fuck it.
"System, Log Out!"
Yes, the best way to confirm this was to log out, and find Janice.
"Huh? System, Log Out!"
...? Is the pulse receiver acting up? Once more...
"System, Log Out! System, Main Menu! System, Log Out! System, Main Menu!"
Dammit! Of all times for a glitch to appear!
"Um... Mistress? Is something the matter?"
"Oh just stop with the act, Janice. Did you mess with my command consoles?"
"Command consoles? I apologize, Mistress, but I do not know of this 'command console' you speak of."
Hah... she really intends to keep up this act to the end huh? Fine! Whatever. I'm too old for this crap.
Ignoring Yuriel's 'worries', I promptly stood up and aimed to leave the throne room.
"Umf-! Huh?"
However, as quickly as I stood up, my legs loses their balance, causing me to fall back onto my throne.
"Mistress, are you alright?!"
Yuriel, once again closed the distance between us, looking at me with a very concerned look.
"Even the movement assist is down?! Dammit!"
In my frustration, I momentarily forgot about the glitch on the command console, and out of habit, my right hand moved through the air in a circular motion, followed by a single punch. They were the movements required to open the player Backpack, one of the special features of the game.
"Eh? So the Backpack works? Wait, where's the menu?"
Countering my expectations, a small black portal appeared where my previous fist had landed. It was a so-called pocket dimension which acts as a player's storage unit. However, the blue screen which should have appeared with the portal was non-existent.
Out of curiosity, I move my arm towards the portal. Normally, players would have to tap on a menu and select the item they wished to retrieve, before placing their hand into the portal and retrieving it. As my arm disappears into the black portal, something unexpected happens.
"What the heck?"
My mind was suddenly filled with images. I try to process the images, and I noticed that most, if not all of the items were the ones I owned. As I browse through the images, I found what I was looking for, and my hand naturally grabbed hold of it, pulling a large obsidian scythe out of the small portal.
"Is this some kind of new function?"
I look towards Yuriel as I posed this question, but somewhat as expected, Yuriel only placed a questioning look on her womanly face. I sigh as I stood up once again, using the scythe as a walking stick. I descend the flight of stairs, moving towards the entrance, or exit of the throne room.
"Please, Mistress. Allow me."
Yuriel moves ahead of me towards the gigantic double doors and pushes them apart effortlessly. I was honestly amazed that Janice took the role playing to such a degree. Is she planning to follow Yuriel's flavor text to the letter? What was it again... One of my four wives... loves me to the extreme unlike her twin sister Gabriel... serves me unconditionally and loyally because I saved her when she had just recently 'fallen'... Damn, I would've added even more embarrassing texts if I knew she was going to do this!
"Mistress!"
"Huh-!?"
Before I could react, I was knocked down by something, or someone.
"Geez Yuki... you shouldn't such a reckless action. What if Mistress gets hurt?"
"Affirmative. Yuki. Careless."
"Ehehe~ My bad-nya~"
"Huh...?"
My mouth was wide open as I stare at the three new women in front of me. They resembled, no... they were my remaining three NPC 'wives' I designed, and were also guild Guardians. The one who knocked me down was named Yuki, a white tigress belonging to the tiger beastmen tribe. Following behind her, were Rakia and Rina.
The one with black hair and a tall build and well proportioned body was Rakia. She belonged to the black dragon clan of the dragon race. While the smaller of the two whose body was shrouded in an obsidian cloak was Rina, a High Elf.
However, what shocked me once again was not the appearance of these three lovely ladies, but the fact that they were conversing to each other. Similar to Yuriel, they were not supposed to be capable of speech, nor have any resemblance of sentience. Their voices as well were unfamiliar to me.
"Mistress is funny-nya!" (Yuki)
"Is something the matter, Mistress?" (Rakia)
"Mistress. Mouth. Wide." (Rina)
"Sisters, our Mistress is feeling unwell right now. I'll bring Mistress to her bed, so you three should continue on with your duties." (Yuriel)
"What?! I want to bring Mistress to bed-nya!"
"Affirmative. Yuriel. Cheating."
"That's enough, you two. We shouldn't disturb Mistress any longer."
"Thank y-"
"But... I do agree that Yuriel getting to be alone with Mistress is unfair..."
"Right! Right!"
"Agreed."
As the four women in front of me continued on with their bickering, my mind was trying to process what was really happening. A prank? Most definitely. But does Janice have that many friends to play along with her like this? I doubt so. Wait... that's it! They're probably one of my other apprentices! Hmm... which one though... I can hardly remember anyone's voices after so many years. Only Janice and a few others bothered to stay in touch with me.
Wait, to begin with, how did I end up in the game? I don't even recall logging in, in the first place. Ugh... think... think...
----------------------------------------
"How's work?"
I asked the blond lady in front of me.
"Horrible."
Her pink lips turned into a frown, showing her displeasure. The knife she held stabbed into the steak in front of her, and slight grinding sounds could be heard as the knife sawed through the meat.
"Woah. Don't take it out on the plate."
At my slight sarcasm, her two hazel eyes glared at me fiercely.
"So, how's the meal?"
"You're paying."
"Ahaha. Of course. Of course. Do you want to order some wine?"
Without giving me a reply, she took up a menu sitting on the table, and proceeded with giving an order to the waitress some distance behind her.
"Well, you're still able to log into the game frequently, so I assume it's nothing too troublesome."
"...The research and development, I can handle. The fucking reports are the ones driving me crazy!"
"You'll ruin that beautiful face of yours if you keep making such a grumpy face, you know?"
"Then take the fucking company back!"
"Ouch. Language. And, no. Unlike you, I'm not young anymore."
"..."
Ah... At my last statement, a troubled expression surfaced on Janice's face.
"You look beautiful tonight, Janice."
"Pfu...! Huh?!"
"Ahaha!"
I laughed as I looked at Janice's priceless face. It seems that my attempt at brightening the mood was a success.
"Bob!!"
"Ouch! Hey! No throwing! Hey! Ouch! No, Janice, not the glass!"
The waitress behind Janice looks at us amusingly as the cutlery on Janice's side started flying at me. Thankfully, nobody else was present in the restaurant to witness this amusing side of ANEW Corporation's CEO.
.
.
.
"Sorry to trouble you as always, Miss Elena. As usual, put the bill for the damages on my tab."
"Fufu. I understand, Mister Grand. As always, thank you for your patronage to our establishment."
I nod to the brown haired waitress from before, turning away towards the limo waiting in front of the restaurant's entrance. An old man in a black suit was standing beside the limo, opening the door for me as I carried the intoxicated Janice into the car.
"Where to, Sir?"
"To Janice's place, James."
"Very well, Sir."
The old man nodded as he closed the door and went to the driver's seat in front. The man was named James Hollander, my butler slash driver who takes care of most of my daily chores while I lazed off doing whatever I wanted. He was also a person who I considered as my friend after serving me for over three decades.
"...You really let yourself go today, huh."
I sigh as I patted the blond sleeping on my lap, closing my own eyes as well to get some rest.
.
.
.
"Bob... don't go... come back..."
"Yes, yes. I'm here, Janice."
I answered to the drunk lady on my back.
"Where are... we...?"
"We're at your house, Janice."
"Eeeh... I don't wanna... go home..."
"You're drunk, my dear. You need to rest."
"I'm not... drunk...!"
"Oh? Then how many fingers am I holding up?"
"...Five!"
"...Nice try."
I sigh as I continued moving through the large but familiar mansion, both my arms holding onto Janice's lower thighs, making sure she doesn't fall off.
"Hot..."
"Stop trying to undress, Janice. You don't want to do something you'll regret in the morning."
"Hmph...! Virgin..."
"Hahaha, I'll drop you on the floor kid~"
*snore*
"Asleep again, huh. And just right when we reach your room."
I opened the white double doors quietly, carrying Janice towards the large canopy bed in the middle of the room. Placing her down gently, I knelt by the bedside, a small smile appearing on my face as I observed the peaceful expression on Janice's face.
"If only you were always as gentle as when you're sleeping like this..."
I muttered to myself as I poked on Janice's flushed cheeks, slightly reminiscing about our past.
"You look exactly like you were when I met you, kid. If only I wasn't twenty years older..."
I let out a sigh as I shake away my thoughts. Removing my hand that was patting the young female's head, I stood up and quietly stepped away. But before I could arrive at the door, I caught myself staring against an old man in a suit.
"Hah..."
I stared at the mirror as my fingers traced through the few visible wrinkles on my forehead. My previous black hair turned grayish white, a sign of my old age. I sigh once more as I look towards the young looking female on the bed.
Modern medicine was able to bring most of her youth back, reverting her body from her mid forties, back to her mid twenties. For me however, the medicine proved to have little to no effect, for reasons unknown.
The medicine was known as a hit or miss type with an estimated compatibility rate of 80%, with many of the elderly being the remaining 20%, myself and James included. I didn't mind, though. Virtual reality had allowed me to live longer than I could have asked for. The only regret I had would be...
"Ack-!"
All of a sudden, my heart ached tremendously, forcing me to kneel on one knee.
"-A heart attack?! Fuck.-"
"Ugh... someone... help... Janice..."
"Mm..."
"Stop... sleeping... I'm... dying... here...! Ugh...!"
I struggled against the pain as I dialed Jame's number on my phone, but before I could've done anything, darkness overtook my consciousness.
----------------------------------------
"I died...?"
I muttered softly as I recalled the events before I regained consciousness, ignoring the on-going bickering in front of me. No, that's not possible. If I died, then I wouldn't be here. Then, I'm somehow alive? Ugh... this is giving me the headaches.
*cough* "Sorry to interrupt your merry affairs, but I have something important to report to Lady Xenovia."
The four ladies in front of me became silent as they turn towards the owner of the voice.
"My apologies, Lady Xenovia, but it seems our great citadel will soon have unwanted visitors."
Huh? Oh, he's referring to me? Right...
"What do you mean by unwanted visitors?"
I asked as I took a closer look at the kneeling demon in front of me. He was also one of the ten guild Guardians, and his name was Asura, belonging to the Rakshasa demon clan. He had red skin, four muscular arms, and his body covered in plated armor was a towering 2.5 meters.
"The sentries on the North Spire has spotted several battalions of soldiers marching towards the Black Citadel. They number around 15 thousand, and judging by their speed, they will arrive in roughly 6 hours. What are your orders, Lady Xenovia?"
15 thousand? Is it a guild? I don't think I had any guild wars planned though. And I never knew the spires worked as sentries... Wait, more importantly! Asura can talk as well?!
"Uh... ready the monsters for defense as usual...?"
I don't even know what kind of commands I should give. Normally, I'd use the command console to move the guild monsters above ground myself, and not through verbal commands. Especially not ordering NPCs to do work for me.
"How many shall I deploy?"
"How many...? Uh... we normally make a 20 to 1 ratio... so... wait... do we have even three hundred thousand monsters to begin with? Argh! Just send everyone!"
I have more important things I need to think about right now! No, wait. Right! I could just ask the other players if they could log out!
"I'll be heading into the battlefield as well."
"As you wish, My Lady. I will notify the other Guardians and prepare the troops."
"Mistress is going to fight as well-nya?!" "I won't allow it! Isn't Mistress not feeling well right now?" "Agreed. Unhealthy. Rest." "Though we respect your decisions, please reconsider this Mistress."
Before I know it, I was barraged by concerns from the four beauties in front of me. The concern shown on their faces looked amazingly genuine, as if they were truly worried about me, making me wonder which famous of actor or actress was behind such a feat.
"Sorry, but no. I have something that I need to confirm with these enemies."
"...Very well. But at the very least, allow us to accompany you onto the battlefield, Mistress." (Yuriel)
As if in agreement, the other three looked towards me expectantly.
"...Fine. Prepare yourselves quickly then. We have guests to welcome."
Shit... Now that there are actual people controlling them, this feels so much more embarrassing to say!
----------------------------------------
"Wait, where are we?"
"The Black Citadel, Mistress?" (Yuriel)
"No... I didn't mean that... I mean, why are we surrounded by mountains?!"
The Black Citadel's guild hall, well... the Black Citadel, was constructed in the middle of a barren desert, surrounded by sand, sand, and more sand with no wildlife in sight. However, the scene I'm looking at right now was completely different. Lush green mountains and a wide grassy plain surrounded us on all sides, though the area near the Black Citadel was slightly different. The land seemed to be corrupted and turned into various shades of darkness, including the surviving plant life.
"I apologize, but I do not know the answer, Mistress."
"No, no. What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault. No, wait. Argh! Forget about it! Where are the enemy troops? Asura!"
Instantly, the red four-armed demon appeared in front of me kneeling, giving me a slight shock.
"You called, Lady Xenovia?"
"Where is the enemy? I don't see them anywhere."
"...They are still far away from us. There is still more than 5 hours before they will arrive."
Oh. My bad... I forgot about the 6 hours thing... Wait, why would anybody march for 6 hours to begin with?!
"How did you even spot them to begin with?"
"The sentries positioned in the spires found them, My Lady."
"Bring me to them. I wish to see them for myself."
"As you wish. Follow me please, My Lady."
----------------------------------------
"Yuriel, is everything alright with Lady Xenovia? She seems... tense..."
"Mistress is not at her best today."
I replied curtly to the towering red bean as I continued watching over my Mistress. She has been feeling unwell today, to the degree of requiring to use her glorious Midnight Scythe as a walking stick! Oh how I envy the scythe! I wish Mistress would use me as her support instead!
"Right, Asura. Mistress was wondering why the Black Citadel is no longer located in the Tezloth Desert. Do you perhaps know the reason for this? Has there been any issues within the Black Citadel itself?"
"Unfortunately, and fortunately, the answer to both questions is - no. My memories are vague at best, and other than the inner workings of the Black Citadel, I don't seem to remember much. I assume you are the same as well, Yuriel?"
I gave Asura a slight nod instead of a reply. Mistress as well, seemed to have trouble with her memories. She even mistook me for my wretched 'holy' twin sister, Gabriel! No... I shouldn't curse her... it is also thanks to that b... woman, that I got the chance to meet my cute Mistress!
"It does not matter. We have our own duties. So long as Mistress exists, our duty is to serve her willingly and loyally. Missing memories are of no concern."
"I agree. But it will still be troublesome if it occurs in the future as well."
"As long as my memory of Mistress remains intact, then I do not care for anything else."
"Mhmm."
Asura seems to share my sentiment as well. I guess he is worthy to serve my Mistress. That leaves those two...! Why are those two lowly demons getting the attention of Mistress!? Just because they know how to operate the Observer of the spire, they get Mistress' undivided attention?!
"Yuriel, control yourself. Your killing intent is visible."
Hah... not good. I have to control myself. It wouldn't do to remove these demons, even if they are filthy weaklings. Mistress will get mad at me if I do so... Hmm... if Mistress is mad at me, won't I get her undivided attention as well?!
----------------------------------------
Why do I get the feeling that someone's glaring holes through me...? Ugh... let's just ignore it... Anyway, what is this thing?! I never knew the top of the spire had such a feature! And I'm the one who designed it!
Right now, I am looking at a large crystal ball, something like a witch's globe. The base holding it was surrounded by glowing runes as well. The runes were quite familiar to me, as they were some of the ancient-looking designs I found on the internet. What they actually mean, I had no idea. Probably something random.
The globe itself provided a 360-degrees view around the spire itself, but half of it was obstructed by the main castle of the Black Citadel. The globe could also zoom in and out, acting as both a telescope and a microscope. The two imps responsible for the globe moved it professionally. I tried learning how to operate it, but sadly to no avail. Oh, the imps as well could speak, though the role players were really in to it, that they even spoke in broken English.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
They showed me the supposed 'enemy' that was marching towards us. According to the imps, they were roughly 40 kilometers away, and would take at the very least 5 hours to reach us. That was assuming they did not stop to rest for the day. The imps had told me it would be night soon, so they would most probably stop and make camp. Not wanting to disagree and retort their statements, I just nodded readily.
"Please, My Lady. Sit."
"Yes. Sit. Please, My Lady."
The two imps, Nol and Vol, kept urging me to take a seat, but I refused them because I wanted to take a closer look at the globe.
"Hey, Vol, zoom in on the enemy troops."
Swiftly, the image moved closer to the marching army, letting me see each of the individuals clearly.
"Huh...? Is that some kind of mass low quality cosplay...?"
On the crystal globe, each and every individual wore similar armor, all of them having simple platemail or chainmails, with a pencil shaped metal helmet. The armor was also fashioned with a long piece of cloth with a cross-shaped insignia sewn on it. Their weapons as well, ranged from simple spears, swords, shields, and crossbows.
All in all, they look like a joke of an army. Honestly. Unless they were just doing this for laughs, and plan to change into real equipment during the fight, they must have a few screw loose to challenge me. Even the weakest monsters in the Forgotten Dungeon could rip that kind of armor to shreds.
"Asura."
"Yes, Lady Xenovia."
"Are you a player?"
"...I beg your pardon, My Lady?"
"What's your name?"
"Asura."
"Your real name."
"Asura Zoroast [Zo-ro-ast], My Lady."
Tch... these guys must be professional actors.
"...What's your take on these 'enemies', Asura?"
"...? I think they are well trained and have proper order. Their weapons are well cared for as well from the looks of it. The enemy composition is evenly split into offense and defense as well, with their offensive troops such as mages and archers well protected in the center. And judging by the quality of their armor, there seems to be multiple commanders to establish a proper chain of command for such a large number of troops."
Hmm. Hmm. You lost me at weapons.
"I mean... are they weak or strong? Do you think they can win against us?"
"Weak. Their chances of coming out victorious will be comical at best."
"I see, I see."
So much for humility.
"Let's go then."
""Huh?""
"I mean, let's go meet them."
Might as well save some time and go meet them myself. I'm dying to find out what kind of event I got myself into.
"Absolutely not!" (Yuriel)
"Why not? Asura said they were weak."
"Forgive me for my insolence, but I strongly suggest that Mistress stays in the castle. We do not know what they have prepared, and it will be best if we face off against them within the ranges of our defenses."
"Hmm..."
Honestly, what's the worst that could happen...? A 12 hour off-time penalty for dying? Oh! Dying is an option to log out as well! Why didn't I think of that? Unless they somehow rigged the death penalty into an instant respawn...? That'd suck. Well, no harm trying.
"Hey, Yuriel. Kill me."
""""HUH?!"""" (Yuriel, Asura, Nol, Vol)
Sheesh... talk about overreacting...
"Lady Xenovia, please calm down."
"My Lady, no die!!"
"No die!!"
"YUKI! RAKIA! RINA!"
"You called-nya?" "What is it, Yuriel?" "Presence. Requested?"
"Please help me bring Mistress to her room. Now."
"Huh?"
"Roger-nya! Sorry, Mistress!" "Um... sorry, Mistress." "Apologize. Yuriel. Scary."
"Huh?"
----------------------------------------
It happened so fast... One moment I was in the spire, and the next moment I find myself chained onto my bed in the main bed chamber... Weren't they supposed to be 'loyal' to me...?
"Hey... um... girls...?"
I meekly looked towards the four women standing on each corner of the bed, their eyes staring... glaring at me. At first, it was only Yuriel who did the glaring, but after a short discussion without me, all four of them came back with eyes that could very well kill a person.
And also, at some point in time, there were additional footsteps pacing about, outside my room. They were quite loud and numerous, so I could even hear it from the far end of this large bedroom. It was probably Asura, and the imps...? Well, the footsteps quickly silenced as soon as Yuriel stepped out for a moment.
"When can you unshackle these restraints...?"
...The silent treatment, huh. I could probably break these chains with my STR stat, but I doubt I could beat the four fully armed ladies guarding me. Especially with almost no proper equipment for myself... Where did they get the chains anyway...? I never knew you could actually chain someone up without using a skill. The surprise just keeps on rolling in today.
Maybe I could take a short virtual nap. Who knows, maybe this is a really detailed dream, and I'll wake up in a bed in the real world?
----------------------------------------
Nope. Still in the virtual world. Still chained to the bed. Worse, the chains increased!? I twist my head around to find my four guards gone from their positions. I couldn't move my limbs, and the new additional collar to my neck didn't help me from looking around either.
"Ugh... is anybody there...? System, Log Out! System, Menu!"
No luck, huh... How long have I been asleep anyway? Oh, someone's coming. I can hear the door opening.
"Nya? Mistress is awake-nya!"
As soon as Yuki's voice reached my ears, I felt a recently familiar thump on my abdomen. Looking up, I could see the female tigress' wide smile and golden eyes staring at me. Her fluffy white ears were fidgeting on her head, and I could feel her tail moving about my legs as well.
"Er... Hey..."
I gave her an awkward smile, unknowing how to react properly to such a situation.
"Hold on-nya~ I'll tell the others-nya~"
She closes her eyes momentarily, before widening them once again, staring at me intently.
"Yuki... can you stop staring at me like that...? Please...?"
I try to look away, but the piercing feeling throughout my body still remains.
"Yuriel said not to take my eyes off Mistress-nya!"
"Right..."
Now that I think about it, who's face did I use as a model for Yuki? Short white hair, a delicate but sharp face, a slim body with near non-existent breasts... Yeah, can't think of anybody. Might be some random female player's character I copied and edited.
Rakia as well, I don't recall knowing anybody having such a well endowed body, long black hair, a mature and intelligent face, coupled with her large stature of roughly 2 meters. Rina's though, I'm sure I copied her base from Elven Queen Lisana's features. Though she hides most of herself under her black hooded cloak, she had the Queen's petite yet busty body.
"Can you release me from these shackles, Yuki? It's hard to move, no... well, I can't even move with them on."
"Mu... No!"
So much for loyalty.
"Shouldn't you be listening to my words?"
"Yes... but... no! Yuriel says Mistress is sick! She forbade us from listening to Mistress' commands until Mistress is better-nya!"
"I'm not sick...?"
"Mistress is not sick...?"
"I'm not."
"Oh! Then Mistress doesn't need to stay in bed-nya!"
That was... ea-
"Why are you still looking at me like that...?"
Yuki is still looking at me with her eyes wide open, coupled with a wide grin plastered on her face.. With slow and gentle movements, she lowers her head to my right ear, allowing me to hear her soft yet steady breathing, before giving out a barely audible yet bone chilling whisper.
"Nice try, Mistress."
...I blink in surprise, looking at the once again grinning tigress. I couldn't help but put on an awkward smile as a few beads of sweat appear on my forehead. If I recall correctly, Yuki's descriptions were closely related to her... Grim Reaper class...
----------------------------------------
Hmm... Mistress really is feeling unwell... Her forehead is sweating as well... Fever? Mm...
Big Sis Yuriel said Mistress is having troubles with her memories, like us. Mistress even asked Yuriel to kill her!
Today, all of us in Black Citadel woke up with blurry and a lot of missing memories. The weaklings especially, had almost no memories of anything, only remembering their names, duties, and Mistress. Us Guardians have it slightly better, knowing a little of our past, but the remaining ones are too fragmented for them to be of any use.
Not that it matters. As long as Mistress is alive and well, all of us in the Black Citadel will live to serve her.
----------------------------------------
"Mistress, are you feeling better now?" (Yuriel)
"Release me. Please?"
I look at Yuriel with a blank expression. I'm tired with keeping up this charade any longer.
"..."
"Look. Yuriel, Janice, and whoever you all are... I'll apologize if I did anything wrong, so just stop with this act and let me log out?"
"...?"
The four of them look at me quizzically.
"I'm sorry, Mistress, but what do you mean by... 'log out'?"
"This game! What else would I mean!? Seriously, just stop this stupid act already! My patience is at its limits! Doing this won't get me back to work! It'll just piss me off!"
"Not. Game."
"...Mistress, I apologize for my rudeness, but we are not playing any games..."
"Yes, Mistress. Yuriel and Rina is right, we are honestly worried about your well being."
"Nya?"
...
...
...?
...
...
..
.
...?
Impossible...
No...
It can't be...
"Where is the enemy right now...?"
"They have set camp for the night, and are now roughly 4 hours away from the Black Citadel, Lady Xenovia."
Asura who was not within my limited sight spoke clearly.
"Yuriel, please release me. I promise I won't do anything foolish. I just need to make one last confirmation."
I smiled a gentle smile towards Yuriel, looking at her worried and hesitant face.
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Slowly, the chains binding me loosened, and soon I was free to move about again.
"Now, once again, let's prepare to greet our guests, shall we?"
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"Slow..."
I sigh as I looked at the pace the enemy troops were marching at. A few hundred of them had horses, which I assumed were the cavalry, but they followed the pace of their comrades moving on foot. It would still be another hour or so before they even enter the Black Citadel's area of influence, and another hour before they reach the Black Citadel itself.
I wasn't really sure what I was looking for by meeting this 'enemy', but I had a feeling that I would know when I meet them.
"Asura, where are the other five Guardians?"
"They are standing ready with their own troops, My Lady. Shall I call for them?"
"Mm... no need. Have you sent any scouts ahead?"
"I have sent a small squad of specters ahead when My Lady was resting. Their reports were the same as from the observers of the North Spire. Also, no additional enemies were reported from the South, East and West Spires."
"Hmm... Thanks."
"You humble me, My Lady."
What the heck did I write in Asura's description?! I'm sure I wrote that he was a warmongering battle maniac who thrives on the blood of his enemies! He's such a professional right now... Nothing close to bloodthirsty...
"Oh, did you find out who's the commander of the army yet?"
"Vol, Nol."
As Asura commanded the two imps, a young man appeared on the crystal globe. He had blond golden hair, a face with child-like features, and he wore a full body armor fashioned with golden designs. On his head as well, sat a single silver crown embedded with a blue gemstone.
"A king? No, a prince?"
"We do not know, My Lady. They speak a language different from ours, hence the specters were unable to deduct their conversations."
"A different language...? Are you sure?"
Impossible... every full dive gear has a universal language translator program...
"Yes, My Lady. I have personally listened to the voices recorded by the specters. If My Lady so wishes, I shall call upon them to replay the voices."
"No need... I'll see for myself once they enter our zone..."
"Of course, My Lady."
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"Alright, let's go greet our guests, shall we?"
"""""Yes!"""""
"Asura, are you sure you don't want one of us to carry you?"
"Thank you for the offer, Lady Xenovia, but I rather prefer staying on the ground."
"Well, suit yourself. Let's go."
As I said so, the six of us set out to meet the enemy army. Of the six of us, Asura was the only one who ran on the ground, while the five of us flew by air. And among the five of us, only Yuki was incapable of flight. Rakia and Yuriel had their own wings, though one consisted of black scales and leather, while the other consisted of fluffy black feathers.
For me and Rina, both of us had the skill [Flight] due to our classes, which are the Evil Witch and Elemental Sorceress respectively. I was capable of using [Flight] as long as I had a staff, which in my case was my Midnight Scythe. Rina just needed mana to use the skill. Yuki's Grim Reaper class was capable of running at high speeds, but she had forced herself upon my scythe, earning a few glares from the others.
"Wow, Asura sure runs fast."
The red demon was sprinting through more than a hundred meters with each second with his two powerful legs. Asura's class was one of the warrior class, and one of the unique classes catered to characters with multiple limbs. I think it was called Quadra Swordsman...?
"Hmph! Yuki can run faster than that!"
"Then. Yuki. Down."
"Right! It's not fair that only Yuki gets to fly with Mistress!"
"Mhm... I agree. Yuriel or I am more than capable of carrying Yuki." (Rakia)
...I wish I had some earplugs right now.
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"ou'nouny odarou!" "noqout! orgrhourt!"
"..." (Xenovia)
"Mistress? What are your commands?" (Yuriel)
I ask worriedly as I look at Mistress' dark expression.
"...Fall back. I've found what I came for..."
"As you command. Asura! We are returning!"
I yell at the red oaf as I followed the distancing figure of Mistress. The trip back was silent, and all of us were eager and worried about our Mistress.
.
.
.
"Yuriel, how is Mistress?" (Rakia)
"Mistress has locked herself in her room and won't answer."
"Should I sneak into the room and protect her?" (Yuki)
"Yuki." (Rina)
"Rina, Yuki is right. Please, Yuki, go check on Mistress and if she tries to... harm herself, stop her even if you have to... hurt her..."
"Yuriel..." (Rina)
Rakia stops Rina before she could finish her magic targeted at both me and Yuki. It was rare to see the emotionless elf displaying such anger. However, I'd rather disobey Mistress' wishes than to see her perish with my own eyes. The words she said to me yesterday still lingered in my mind, and it worries me immensely, especially after seeing her dark expression.
"Rina, we should let Yuriel handle this for now. Let's go prepare ourselves to rid the Black Citadel of the new pests, okay?"
"Rak-"
I sigh as I watch Rina being carried away by Rakia, with Rina only managing to squirm against Rakia's overwhelming strength.
"Yuki, if you please..."
"Alright. I'll notify Sister through telepathy if anything happens."
Let's hope you don't find the need to...
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"I guess I didn't make it in time, huh..."
I muttered to myself softly as I sort through my thoughts. Truthfully, ever since I recalled the heart attack incident, I've been avoiding many of the signs I was shown. Other than the missing command consoles, everything surrounding me had become more... real... and less digital... The full dive technology, though miraculous, still had its limits, and many of the things I've seen and felt defied those limits. I had secretly hoped that these limits had been improved, but...
The last factor that made me face reality had been the human soldiers. The usage of an unknown language was one thing, but all of their individual reactions, be it fear, anxiety, shock, sadness or rage, each one of them had looked and felt genuine. Of course, someone might've hired over 15 thousand professional actors and actresses, but that was just wishful thinking.
The only conclusion I could come to was...
"WHY!!! EVEN WITH MY LITTLE TIME!! WHY DID YOU TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME!!"
I curse as regret fills my heart. I had been contempt with living out my few remaining years just watching over her, but even that was no more.
Why had I been so stubborn?! Why had I been such a coward?! Why had I cared so much?! Why had I been so stupid?! Why couldn't I be more selfish?! Why didn't the drug worked on me?! I was the one who created the technology, so why?!
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"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
A wave of emotions surged throughout the entire area, and every inhabitant of the Black Citadel had felt the rage, the agony, the pain, the frustration, the grief, the despair and most of all, the sadness of their master. All of them had silently prayed for their master, while cursing at their own inability and helplessness.
Meanwhile at the far end of the land, the human soldiers shuddered. Their hairs stood straight, their backs drenched in sweat, and their feet trembling from fear. Most able men and women became hesitant to take another step, breaking their orderly marching formation. Even the young prince who was commanding the army wanted to turn back immediately.
"Capture all of them alive. They will pay for trespassing on our lands during our Mistress' time of grief!"
*Roooooaarrrr*
...
On the 15th day, of the 3rd month, of the 785th year, the mighty Kingdom of Luzkinia lost a fifth of their fighting prowess, along with the 2nd prince to the throne, Prince Cauis Luzkinia the First.
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Author's Note: (Important and contains spoilers) || (Not important if you decide to drop my story)
Spoiler :
Before I go to the important part, I'd like to say that I honestly wanted to extend this chapter to 10,000 words or more, but I felt that it was important and better than I ended this chapter as such. The next chapter will most likely go pass my target, as I doubt I'll have any good endings for the chapter (I haven't thought of one yet).
Ah, right. I have no known release schedules, but in 3 weeks time, I'll have 2 weeks' worth of holidays, so I'll try to finish the next chapter.
Some details I wish to point out to prevent problems.
(1) Some of you may point out that the characters refer to Xenovia as 'Mistress' and not 'the Mistress' even when they are only speaking about Xenovia, and not to Xenovia directly. I intended the word 'Mistress' to become something like a name, or nickname, if you get what I mean. At least for the 4 girls.
(2) When the four are not speaking to Xenovia directly, and are not within her premises, they would sometimes lose the formality in their speech (I mean by referring to Xenovia as 'she','her' and etc.), not always, but sometimes.
(This is truly unimportant, but definitely a spoiler.)
Spoiler :
(3) Yes, Yuki is doing the 'nya' intentionally in front of Xenovia. Each of the girl's personality and background will be shown in future chapters (side story).
(4) I will only place names behind conversations if I think that the context is insufficient to reveal who exactly is speaking.
(5) I know 15,000 men is considered a division, but it just doesn't sit well with me, so I'll be using the word army more often.
(6) For conversations, I won't be using bracers [ ] for skill names or anything unless necessary.
(7) Some, or many of you may point out that I'm overusing the plot of Overlord, which I think so as well. In regards to this, I would like to ask a favor to those who hadn't decided to drop my story yet, to take the poll at the top/start of this chapter, to vote if I should add the Fan Fiction tag. But first, please google what a fan fiction is though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction
(8) Finally, this is a fantasy fiction. Logic doesn't work. My fetishes trumps over yours.
(9) Oh right! I had someone asking me if this would be a yuri novel. To which my answer is, I don't know. The romance tag will be on hold until much much later in the novel (mostly because I'm inept to writing romance at the moment).