Cries echoed over the plains as men and monsters fell from the fort walls. Blood soaked into the ground, and corpses were crushed under many feet. The Horde was attacking the small fort that protected this part of Duke Warnmier’s land, and they were succeeding.

“Dammit!” Duncan growled as he quickly glanced at the battle. His senses kicked in and he dodged the attack that was aimed at his head.

The orc warlord Grangk pressed the attack. Duncan parried an attack with his great sword and went to strike at the monster’s open side, but the orc woman carrying two shields blocked his attack. Shawn skirted around the battle getting ready to shoot the warlord.

“Look out!” Duncan said.

Shawn jumped out of the way as the fire giantess slammed her flaming mace into the ground. Flames erupted from her body which forced Shawn to roll out of the way. Duncan growled as his attack was blocked again. He dodged another attack and looked over his shoulder. Why isn’t Maria buffing me?

Maria radiated golden light as she cast her miracles, but the spell landed onto Prince Ollimier. Blood stained the prince’s armor as he protected the spell casters from two orc women, but he was struggling to keep them back. Shizuka cast a spell that caused the prince’s blade to catch on fire, then she shot a bolt of lightning which caught one of the women in the leg.

“Why not boost someone else for a change?” Duncan said trying to push back against the warlord.

“I’m trying, but the prince is taking a lot of damage,” Maria scoffed as she buffed the prince again, “Is there anything you can do Shizuka?”

Magic coalesced around Shizuka. It caused the winds to shift, and clouds started to form in the sky. About time that pipsqueak pulled her weight. Duncan smiled as he charged the warlord again, but it was wiped clean when heard Shizuka scream in pain. The sky cleared up as the warlord roared in laughter.

“Dammit Shizuka,” Duncan turned and saw Shizuka laying on the ground with a dagger sticking out of her shoulder.

Duncan growled, but gasped when the warlord grabbed the ricasso of his sword. Grangk kicked him in the stomach which sent him flying. Duncan recovered by rolling to his feet and drew the arming sword at his side.

Grangk took Duncan’s great sword into his left hand, “I expected better, Hero,” a horn blew three times from the fort, and Grangk bellowed in laughter, “Victory! [Empowerment]”

The warlord’s companions roared with him, and their eyes glistened with a primal fire. The orc woman with the shields charged into Duncan pushing him off his feet again while the giantess struck at Shawn who barely dodged the attack. Ollimier took two slashes to his side and arms as he protected the women.

“We need to retreat!” Ollimier shouted pushing the women back, “We need to regroup with the main force.

Duncan cursed and ran away. He picked up Shizuka and threw her over his shoulder. Shawn kept the orcs back by rapidly shooting arrows at them, but the warlord wasn’t worried about catching them. His taunting laughter made that clear.

Ophelia ran past a group of soldiers standing in line for their dinner. She blushed as they howled at her, but her fear pushed her to keep running. The soldiers leering eyes bore into her, and she fought the urge to drop her skirt to cover her chest, but that would mean she couldn’t run to the heroes. After passing another group of soldiers, the healers' tent stood in front of her.

“Is everyone alright?” Ophelia panted pushing through the flap.

Duncan, Ollimier, and Shizuka were being tended to by the camp healers. Ollimier looked to be in the worst condition as his chest, arms and legs were covered in bandages. Shizuka sat behind a screen, her blouse off so the healer could properly treat the wound in her shoulder. Duncan had a few cuts along his arms and cheeks. A tall, thin woman with chestnut colored hair and dark skin with a green tint massaged his shoulders. Her slave collar was mostly hidden by her hair. Maria and Shawn stood to the side to give the healers room.

“What do you think,” Duncan snarled as the he turned to the woman behind him, “Dammit bitch, that hurts!”

“S-sorry…master,” The woman cowered behind the curtain of hair covering her face.

“Don’t take your frustration out on her asshole,” Maria glared at him.

“Fuck off Maria,” Duncan said, “She’s my slave, got it.” Maria flipped him off.

“Enough!” Ophelia said looking between them, “What happened?”

“We were too late,” Ollimier sighed as he pulled on his shirt, “The Horde had already scaled the walls and were in the fortress, so we decided to fight the warlord.”

“But our illustrious Champion decided to fight the warlord all by himself,” Shizuka snapped as she wrapped herself in her cloak.

“I had Shawn with me,” Duncan glared at the short woman, “It’s not our fault you're completely useless in battle.”

“Useless!” Shizuka stormed towards him, but Ollimier held her back, “Do you know how hard it is to cast spells while being attacked. It’s nearly impossible. If it wasn’t for the prince, Maria and I would be dead.”

“That’s right,” Maria snapped.

“Of course you’d say that about your boyfriend,” Duncan said, “You spend more time tending to him than the rest of the party. The same goes for you too, short stack.” Both women stared at him with red faces.

“That’s enough man,” Shawn pulled Duncan to his feet, “Let’s go get some food.” Duncan scoffed and stormed out of the tent.

Ophelia sighed and massaged her forehead.

“Thanks for protecting us again,” Ophelia glanced and saw Maria smiling at Ollimier, “I’m sorry I couldn’t heal more of your wounds.”

Ollimier kissed her hand, “It was my pleasure, my lady,” he smiled back, “I would escort you back to your tent, but I need to speak with lady Ophelia.” Maria nodded and watched the two of them leave.

Ophelia and Ollimier walked through the camp. Campfires burned every few feet which kept the camp well-lit in the darkness. The two of them stepped into the command tent and stared at the map on the central table.

“This isn’t going well,” Ollimier said swapping out a piece on the map, “We keep getting pushed back.”

“Do we try to retake the fort?”

“No,” Ollimier sighed leaning against the table, “There’s no way we’d win, morale is too low.”

“Then what do we do,” Ophelia looked at the map, “We can’t keep losing battles like this,” Her chest seized at the sight of another loss, “Maybe, we should do what they did in the past. Let the heroes form their own parties to fight the enemy.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Ollimier scratched at his newly formed beard, “I don’t know,” he said, “We’re already straining our resources having them in one party. I…don’t know how we would be able split them among four parties. Not to mention the amount of time it would take to find the people who work well with each hero, especially the Champion.”

“I… regret finding him,” Ophelia said holding herself, “I was too focused on Nathaniel.”

“Yes, you were,” Ophelia chuckled at the prince’s blunt comment, “But, I wonder how we’d be fairing if the Inventor was here.”

“Sire,” a voice came from outside, “A party for Castle VuRant has arrived. They wish to speak with you.”

“Let them in,” A knight in green and red brigandine armor stepped into the tent. His dark red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a large scar ran across his nose. He kneeled to the prince, “Report, Sir Marian.” Ollimier stood before the knight.

“Your highness, I regret to inform you that my Uncle is unable to send reinforcements to your campaign,” Marian said, “Horde raids have increased around his holdings, all the way to the frontier lands, in fact.”

“Damn,” Ollimier sighed as he added more pieces to the map, “How have your forces been fairing?”

“Surprisingly well sir,” Marian pulled the weapon from his belt which looked like a large dagger with an oversized hilt, “My Uncle purchased some new weapons to outfit our forces, and they’ve greatly enhanced our fighting power.”

Ollimier took the dagger with a skeptical look, “How can a dagger…Is this enchanted?”

“Yes sir,” Marian smiled, “If you touch the rune on the hilt, the one right above your hand, the weapon will show its true form.” Ollimier scoffed but touched the rune. The blade extended to the proper length of a longsword, but it’s weight felt lighter like it was made of mithril. Ollimier gasped as he stared at the weapon, “And that’s not the only one sire,” Marian chuckled, “We purchased a new type of ranged weapon called a crossbow. It allows us to shoot arrows at a greater distance, and with enough power to break through most armor.”

“Where did you get such weapons?” Ophelia said staring intently at the sword.

“Lady Cymella Quarmane showed them to my Uncle a few months ago,” Marian said taking back his sword, “They have a crafter there in Rumand who made them. In fact, we should be receiving another shipment by the end of the month.”

“Your highness, we need to visit this crafter,” Ophelia pleaded.

“I agree,” Ollimier said, “We’ll return to Castle Warnmier, then make our way down to Rumand. Our forces here should be able to keep the Horde at bay until we return.”

“I’m sick and tired of that asshole!” Maria scrubbed her arms with a wet rag.

“Agreed,” Shizuka snarled as she washed her legs.

“What’s worse is how he treats Veyl,” Maria said moving to clean her chest, “Seriously, why the hell did he accept a slave in the first place. It’s wrong!”

“It’s a common trope in fantasy isekai stories,”

Maria gave her a confused look, “Isa-what?”

“It’s a… fictional genre that originated in Japan,” Shizuka said, looking away, “The gist of the genre is that a person is somehow transported or reincarnated into another world. The slave trope has been popular lately.”

“How –“

“I… don’t want to talk about it,” Shizuka held herself.

Maria moved to sit next to her, “Why don’t you want to talk about it?”

“Because I finally have friends now,” Shizuka said quickly glancing at her, “And I don’t want you thinking I’m weird.”

“I’m not going to think you’re weird.”

“Really,” Maria nodded and smiled at her, “Fine,” Shizuka took a deep breath, “I’m an otaku.”

“A what?”

“It’s like a geek, but for Japanese culture,” Shizuka said, “I collected manga, played video games, and figurines.”

“I understand now,” Maria laughed hugging Shizuka, “I had friends who collected action figures all the time, so I don’t understand why you were worried.”

“They’re not action figures!” Shizuka glared at her, “They aren’t toys you play with, they’re collectables, especially the rare bunny-maid Amiri-Chan figure I had preordered.”

“Wait, bunny-maid?”

“I can’t believe I won’t be able to get it,” Shizuka completely ignored her, “It even came with the rare strawberry pa-” Her face turned red when she noticed Maria looking at her.

“You… are really into this,”

“Sorry, I tend to lose myself when I’m talking about my favorite character,” Shizuka hid behind her hair.

“I see, and what’s she in?” Maria gave her a strained smile.

“She’s in Lovely Peach Maids. It’s a…Yuri otome game.”

Maria sighed heavily, “I’m afraid to ask, but what is that?” Shizuka leaned in and whispered into her ear. Maria couldn’t help the sad smile that came to her lips, “Sweetie, you need help.”

Duncan stared up at the top of his tent. He breathed heavily and was covered in sweat, but his mind felt clearer than it did back in the medical tent. He laid there in the open, completely exposed, hoping to cool down, but the summer heat even invaded the night, and it didn’t help that a woman snuggled against him.

He playfully slapped her ass which caused her to moan, and she buried her face into his chest, “Master…please,” the woman peeked out from her long hair.

“Please what, Veyl,” Duncan chuckled as he slapped her again. She let out a small whimper, but he could see her flushed cheeks when he brushed her hair way. It also revealed her slightly pointed ears. “Do you want this?” He ran his fingers along her earlobe. Veyl squealed into his chest as he pinched and pulled on her ears.

“S-stop,”

“Fine,” Duncan sighed as he rubbed her back. The silence felt heavy between them. “I’m sorry…about what I said in the tent.” Veyl’s glistening, emerald eyes pierced him. “Maria was right, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

“You…don’t need to apologize,” she mumbled as she held him tighter, “I understand that you were frustrated.”

“Thanks,” he kissed the top of her head, “Sometimes…I just really hate this world.”

Veyl rested her chin on his chest, “Why?”

“How would you feel if someone took you away from your family and expected you to work your ass of for th…shit, I'm sorry,”

Veyl chuckled at his flushed face, “You needn’t worry. I get the last part, but… I’ve never had a family,” she said, “I’ve been a slave my entire life. What was your family like?”

“They were… normal,” Duncan chuckled, “I don’t know how else to explain them. Dad ran many successful franchises, so we never had to worry about money. Mom stayed home most of the time doing her thing, and my little sister was cute. Damn, I miss that brat, I bet she’s cried her eyes out when I was summoned here.” Duncan fought against the ache in his chest, “Dad could be a dick sometimes, but that’s because he was pushing me. ‘If you aren’t a winner, then you’re a loser’ he’d always say, and he was even worse when coaching.”

“You’re talking about that sport… football, was it?”

“Yep,” he sighed heavily, “He pushed me hard, but that’s because he wanted me to understand how important I was to the team. I had to lead the team when we were on the field, and even if some of my teammates didn’t like me, they at least listened when I called plays. Not like here.” A small growl left him, “Here no one respects me. Ophelia never shuts up about Nathaniel. Maria’s more focused on getting with the prince, and Shizuka’s holding everyone back. Even Shawn’s acting differently after having kids with the Queen. Then you have all these nobles throwing their wives and daughters at me. I just get sick of it sometimes.”

“I’m… grateful for that last part,” Veyl hugged him tightly, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have you as a master.”

Duncan laughed remembering the night two months ago. He was sitting in his room one night eating dinner when Cymella Quarmane came to visit him. She offered Veyl as a gift, and then offered herself as well. He remembered being annoyed at Veyl’s docile personality, but slowly over time, it became comforting.

Duncan returned her embrace, “I’m thankful too,” he closed his eyes.

Shawn looked out into the starry sky. It was stupid for him to be this far from camp, but he needed to be alone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, braided cord. It was made from soft honey brown hair with a small section that had two different hair colors woven in it. Shawn brought the cord to his face and breathed deeply as he remembered that night.

He was laying in bed, resting from the banquet that was just held. A beautiful woman was wrapped in arms with her head on his chest. He ran his fingers through her long hair, enjoying the comfort of her weight.

“So, this is it,” Shawn sighed.

“For now,” the woman said, “But I’m sure his majesty wouldn’t mind us rendezvousing every now and then.”

“I’m to fight monsters and knock-up the queen,” he scoffed getting out of bed, “Is that all I’m here for Haelie?”

“Of course not,” the queen sighed sitting up, “After the war is over, you’ll be a part of this kingdom’s future. You’ll be a noble with responsibilities… and you’ll… build yourself a family.”

“But I’ll still be expected to impregnate you whenever the king wants, right,” Haelie nodded, and Shawn snapped, “That pisses me off.”

The queen glared at him, “Am I truly that terrible?”

“No, it’s the fact that I’ll never be able to hold my kids,” he growled, “I’ll never be in their life, despite it being obvious who their father is.”

“It’s the responsibility of the heroes to replenish the rankings of the nobility. Without you no one would be above basic rank.”

“You don’t understand,” Shawn sighed sitting on the edge of the bed.

Haelie wrapped her arms around him, “Then tell me what I’m not understanding,”

“I don’t… want to be alone anymore,” Shawn took her hand in his, “At first, I didn’t mind it, but now I’m tired. I’m tired of waking up every morning to find my bed empty. Every time I come back from the battlefield I come back to an empty room,”

Haelie kissed his cheek, “You’ll find someone.”

Shawn sighed deeply as he put the braided cord away, “Why can’t it be you?”