"So," Asuna spoke up, her voice a calm amidst the growing chaos outside, "how widespread was slavery before we took that institution over the proverbial knee and spanked it to death anyway?"
From just outside the tent, explosions of fire, ice, and other elements painted the sky in a kaleidoscope of destruction. Plumes of smoke billowed from the direction of the marketplace, the noble district, and a particularly impressive pillar of blue fire erupted from the back of the castle, reaching towards the heavens like an accusing finger.
Yui, unfazed by the escalating mayhem, chirped cheerfully, "Approximately two-thirds of the noble class had at least one slave, most of which were powerful combatants with magic and other esoteric abilities." Her eyes glittered with a mischievous light, hinting at a deeper understanding of the unfolding events.
The air was thick with the sounds of battle – the clash of steel, the roar of magic, and the screams of both the righteous and the damned. Distant chants of "DEATH TO THE ARISTOCRACY! DEATH TO THE SLAVERS!" mingled with cries of pain and panicked shouts of things like, "My leg!" and "My spleen!" and a particularly poignant "Why have we done this?! WHY!?"
A heavy silence fell upon the tent as we absorbed the magnitude of the situation. Then I let out a low chuckle.
"Hm," I mused, with a smirk. "Conquering a kingdom by accident?! That's awesome!"
Asuna, with a nonchalant shrug, simply stated, "I'm totally okay with this."
As the distant castle imploded upon itself with the precision of a controlled demolition, a cloud of dust and debris billowing into the sky, Asuna voiced a concern that had been brewing in my own mind.
"Are we going to fix this?" she asked, her voice laced with a rare note of uncertainty. "Because I'm pretty sure with the level of intelligence these people have displayed, we'll just end up with normal slavery instead of magically enforced slavery at some point. With weaker people, or something."
I shrugged, offering a nonchalant response that masked my own unease. "Well, I'm pretty sure Grognark the Cave Barbarian could do a better job than the actual king," I said, "so I think we can try playing king and queen. Not like the situation can be made worse by modern human ingenuity."
Asuna raised an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of amusement and concern. "The fact that you just tossed about five kingdom-destruction flags with those words doesn't worry you at all?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of playful chiding.
"That was my bad," I admitted sheepishly, realizing the potential consequences of my careless words.
Suddenly, Yui's voice, amplified and echoing with an unnatural clarity, cut through the air. "Go for the knees!" she shouted, her words seemingly emanating from a window high above the ground.
"Sweetie, what are you doing?" Asuna asked, moving towards the source of the voice.
Yui's small form materialized beside us, a mischievous grin on her face. "I'm encouraging some trapped individuals to fight their way out of a slave-holding facility while observing through this spatial fold!" she chirped.
Asuna blinked, taken aback by Yui's nonchalant explanation. "Well, wouldn't it be better if you just saved them?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of motherly concern.
"Don't worry!" Yui reassured her, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I've given them a 500% increase in experience gain towards killing those who have been slavers or done generally evil things! This is a perfect chance to recruit enforcers for our new empire!"
Asuna and I exchanged a bewildered glance. Seems like Yui was being proactive.
With the castle in ruins and the city in chaos there is a newly empowered rebellion on the rise.
It looked like we were about to become the accidental rulers of a kingdom we were summoned to save.
A heavy silence descended upon the tent, punctuated only by the rhythmic clapping and giggling of Yui as she cheered on her impromptu army of rebellion, the distant cries of the innocent and the wicked caught in the crossfire, and the crackling of flames consuming the city. The air hung thick with the scent of smoke and the metallic tang of blood.
After a long, contemplative silence, I finally spoke, my voice barely a whisper above the din. "Is it too late to just leave?" The thought of escaping this chaotic mess and finding a quiet corner of the world to disappear into was undeniably appealing.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Asuna, her gaze fixed on the inferno raging in the distance, turned to me. A predatory glint flickered in her eyes, a spark of ambition ignited by the unfolding chaos. "Probably," she said, her voice a low purr, laced with a hint of something dangerous. "We should fix this."
The corner of my mouth twitched upwards in a smirk. Fix it? Yes, that's precisely what we would do. We would mold this broken kingdom in our image, reshape its laws, and rewrite its history. We would show these imbeciles, these cretins who couldn't tell a rapier from a spear, what true leadership looked like. The thought of bending this world to my will, of proving my superiority over these dullards, filled me with a sense of satisfaction.
Asuna's hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with my own. I could feel the ambition radiating from her.
Leaving was no longer an option. We had a kingdom to claim, a throne to usurp, and a legacy to forge. The task ahead was daunting, the challenges immense. But as I looked at Asuna, her eyes gleaming with avarice and ambition, and Yui, her small form radiating an unwavering faith in our abilities, I knew we were ready.
----
The rhythmic clatter of hooves against cobblestones echoed through the tranquil countryside as Queen Mirellia Q Melromarc's carriage made its way towards the bustling city of Faubrey. Inside, the Queen, a woman of formidable presence and unwavering authority, reviewed reports and strategized for the upcoming meeting regarding the summoning of the Cardinal Heroes. Just two days prior, she had explicitly instructed her husband, the King, to remain in the capital, refrain from any rash decisions, and await her return before proceeding with the summoning of a SINGLE hero. Her trust in his competence, however, was wearing thin.
Suddenly, the carriage lurched to a halt, throwing the Queen off balance. Before she could demand an explanation, one of her loyal Shadows, a cloaked figure who served as her eyes and ears throughout the kingdom, materialized beside the carriage window.
"Your Majesty," the Shadow reported, his voice hushed and urgent, "Faubrey is compromised. We must turn back."
Mirellia's brow furrowed in displeasure. "Compromised? Explain yourself."
"The city is in flames, Your Majesty," the Shadow elaborated, his voice laced with a hint of disbelief. "The Pig King of Faubrey has been disposed of. By his slaves."
Mirellia's eyes widened in shock. "Disposed of? What are you saying?"
"His corpulent corpse is currently being paraded through the streets, Your Majesty," the Shadow continued, his voice grim. "The slaves have revolted. The city is in chaos."
Melty, the Second Princess and heir to the throne, gasped. She looked to her mother, her young face pale with worry.
Mirellia, however, quickly regained her composure. She was a queen, a ruler, and she would not be swayed by panic. "Turn the carriage around," she commanded, her voice firm and resolute. "We return to Melromarc at once."
As the carriage turned back towards the capital, a sense of foreboding settled over Mirellia. The news from Faubrey was troubling, to say the least. A slave revolt, a murdered king, no matter how disgusting, it was a sign of instability, of weakness and a sign that something to do with the slave seals has gone horribly wrong. And she feared that the same rot which she knew had already taken root in her own kingdom, had just boiled over.
Especially with her foolish husband and unruly First Daughter left in charge.
Unbeknownst to her, her fears were not unfounded. For in Melromarc, a similar fate had befallen the kingdom, thanks to the combined incompetence of her husband and the machinations of her power-hungry First Daughter. A storm was brewing, and Queen Mirellia Q Melromarc was about to find herself caught in the eye of it.
As nations crumble and burn, consumed by the flames of rebellion ignited by the unwitting actions of two married and isekai'd gamers along with their ridiculously overpowered AI daughter, one question hangs heavy in the smoke-filled air: Will anything remain standing in the wake of this chaotic crusade against slavery? Find out next time on "I Can't Believe It's Not Overlord, Married Couple and Basically-a-God Daughter but Not a god-daughter Edition!"