Beta read by Shigiya, Gamercrusher55 and Fluffy Slayer.
Lime Warning!
Had to split chapter again cause Webnovel does not like 18k words chapters.
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How long had she been travelling?
It was a question Mistiora Arte couldn't answer, not with any real certainty. Time itself was… a slippery concept, especially for elves, both dark and light.. They lived long lives, often too long to measure moments the way humans did. To them, time was a drifting current, not a ticking clock. And so, trying to grasp it on a personal level became a quietly persistent struggle.
The white haired Dark Elf, despite the centuries she had seen, still carried with her a handful of precious memories from her childhood, fragments from a time when life was simpler, when it was just her and her family. Cousins, distant kin, laughter around firelit halls… she had cherished them in the same way humans treasured their fleeting bonds, no less fiercely despite her long years.. But right now, only one memory lingered in her thoughts like a ghost refusing to fade: her older sister.
Having lived in the Dark Elf kingdom Nidalivier since birth, Mistiora's thoughts drifted to memories steeped in conflict, centuries of tension and bloodshed between Dark Elves, humans, and Light Elves. It was a war without a clear beginning, stretching so far back that it had become part of their identity, like a curse passed down through generations. At some point, the women who bore them vanished like morning mist, gone long before infancy gave way to understanding.
Told by the elders that they most likely had fallen in battle. With no remains, no bodies, just a cold sensation of loss, she wondered if they were buried in an unmarked grave, or were desecrated by the enemies.
Yet that loneliness failed to consume the young girl; it tried, many times. The sole factor keeping it at bay was the understanding that she still had family left — especially a sister so dependable and loving that Mistiora felt she had everything she needed in the world.
Olga…
The sharp eyes hiding glimmers of affection, the languid expression that was so beautiful, the strict tone whenever she messed up, and all of the many lessons on both magic and the history of their race, she could still remember all of them clearly. Times when the two of them chased rabbits, and ran in their kingdom's fields with her silver white hair swaying with her sister's obsidian black hair.
She still could fondly remember those days when she was with her sister and the rest of the dark elves. Studying magic and etiquette from the elders. Learning the customs of her people and the outside world from traveling merchants. Enjoying the other dark elves as they wore dresses, gossiped, laughed, or contributed to the community.
Those were truly good times.
Sadly, all good times must come to an end.
It started when she had been called to a meeting with the elders to discuss a very important topic. Something about the purity of her blood. When they told her what her duty entailed, she honestly didn't know what to think of it at the time, but all the other dark elves were happy for her and treated her like royalty. An honoured position that many sought after, but in total honesty, she did not truly have much of a desire for it, especially since it cut into her family time with Olga.
Yet Olga herself held her close as she told her how she felt, and afterwards that very same person said she would support her no matter what, those words made all of her reservations about the matter basically disappear. With her beloved sister by her side, she worked hard and pursued and fulfilled her training without any complaints, meanwhile, all the rest of the kingdom cheered for her.
Until…
A certain incident made her lose that right completely.
She remembered that time, a moment when she had been moving on the border's edge after a discussion with the guardswomen's keep at one of the elders' behest. At the time, Olga had been helping with some paperwork in the capital city.
It happened so fast.
She had been traveling idly and slowly gazing at the outstretched point of the border, wondering what the outside world was really like. Past the blue skies, the green forests, the stone mountains, knowing that she would soon get the chance to see it, upon fulfilling her role, thus, the girl became excited.
That was when she noticed something.
A light of unknown origins grabbed her curiosity and distracted her.
Her foot caught on the edge of the slope, and she stumbled, barely catching herself. Something dark whizzed past her head, close enough to make her flinch. Instinctively, she turned toward where it had come from. And there they were, a group of humans, their rough features and greedy, malicious eyes unmistakable. Slavers. Just like Olga had warned her about, over and over again.
They had seen her face and immediately became erratic, trying to throw another similar object, which she now realized turned out to be a net at her. Rushing to capture the young, terrified woman, they had given themselves away, and she bolted.
Questions started to pop in her head.
'What are they doing so close to the border? The guardswoman should have alerted the others!'
With the slavers hot on her heels, Mistiora had no choice but to run for safety. She cursed under her breath, wishing the dark elves weren't so few in numbers, maybe then they could actually patrol the entire border properly. But that is wishful thinking. And how did these humans get so close without anyone noticing?
But there were contingencies.
It didn't take long for her to realize they would eventually catch up, their size greatly surpassing her own, which allowed the men to gain more ground while she struggled against the rough terrain, along with exhaustion creeping in. Soon they'd catch her. The forest loomed ahead, and with no other choice, she veered into it, crossing the border of the country and vanishing amongst the dense trees.
With burning lungs and aching legs, the white haired elf waited until the humans were forced to leave. Examining her surroundings, she slowly left the bush she hid in and tried to make her way back to Nidalivier, trying to find her way back on the right path. Wandering for what felt like hours, using everything her sister once taught her, but with little success.
Then she saw it, a stream of clear water flowing deeper within the forest. Parched from the chase, she headed over to alleviate her thirst.
Then it happened.
A sharp metallic ding rang out, a net had shot out from a nearby underbrush, wrapping tightly around and yanking her into the shallows — all the while she struggled, but all of it was in vain. Leaves rustled nearby until green little monsters showed up, with bloated bellies that jiggled with each step, covered with a rancid stench, beady little eyes, and holding onto bloodstained clubs.
They eyed her with hunger.
This had been her first time seeing these vile creatures, and she felt instinctive fear. 'Goblins! The noise must have alerted them that their trap was sprung.'
The vile creatures took her to an entire nest of them. Bringing Mistiora back to their lair, where the first thing she came to smell was a pungent incense, causing an intense sensation to sweep across her body. Slowly, her senses were robbed of her…
Then…
They…
A memory she could never shake, no matter how much time passed, each moment etched into her mind like a deep scar. Despair clung to her, a shadow that refused to fade, and every night brought the same relentless nightmares. The cave, the stench, their hands, her body remembered it all, even when she wished it could forget. They'd treated her like nothing more than an object, a toy for their twisted amusement. Groups of them, taking turns, their mocking laughter echoing in her ears as they stripped her of any semblance of dignity. It wasn't just a physical reminder that she had tried day after day to wash away; it was a violation that seeped into her very soul, leaving her forever changed.
If only that was the worst part…
The incense seeped into her every breath, clouding her mind and leaving her body limp yet responsive to their touch. What began as a drugged haze transformed into something worse, a maddening craving that twisted her revulsion into unwanted pleasure. Time lost meaning as days melted into weeks and months, her own body betraying her as her desires spiraled beyond control, becoming fuel for their depraved entertainment. Eventually, even the goblins grew uneasy, their cruel grins faltering as she became something they hadn't anticipated, an insatiable force they could no longer satisfy. They had made her their plaything, never expecting that in their game, the toy would ultimately consume its masters.
But she did not care; whatever was currently in control of her body did not care, she could not allow them to stop, having let her body take control. This eventually led the very same monsters who captured her and defiled her body to feel threatened, unable to deal with her before throwing her away.
Unable to acquire release and left to die in the wilderness she was left in a state worse than death her mind a chaotic mess eventually she had given up, and didn't see any point till she saw the same light that started it all in the distance, she could have sworn whatever was left of her spoke something to her.
'Sister.'
Afterwards, the stray thought crossed her mind. Wanting to see Olga again, she wanted to be held close and be told that everything was alright.
But the damage had already been done, and upon gathering enough strength to finally make her return, she found out the truth.
Olga had left…
The elders, even after finding out that Mistiora had been missing, tried to search for her and spared no effort to lend her aid by sending search parties, but at some point worried they were too late. Thinking she had either died or been sold into slavery. So they prepared for the worst and instead decided to change up their plans and make Olga the one to become the chosen one to take part in the ceremony.
By the time Mistiora stumbled back into Nidalivier, Olga was already gone, off on that endless trek to the fated tower. It felt like a betrayal, though she knew it wasn't, Olga was all she had left, and now even she was out of reach. Desperate, Mistiora dug into every scrap of information about the ceremony, even the parts they'd kept hidden. She traded what little she had left, her body, her home, for answers. Turns out, there was more to it than they'd ever let on. After speaking with a few deep purple-haired dark elves, she learned the truth, and knowing of what was to come, it was as if new life surged within her all over again, especially after what she'd been through. She decided she could not just sit down and accept such an outcome without meeting her again, without telling her what it truly entailed. She loved her sister, and something deep and strong had awakened within her upon hearing what would happen, and somehow, someway, her will was reignited.
There was just one problem: the location was lost, passed by word of mouth, and only one person was allowed to know the location. After it passed on using magic, the location was erased from the mind of the dark elf in question. That left her in a pickle, but she refused to let that stop her. She gathered everything that made up her life there and set out to find Olga no matter what.
The elders didn't stop her after all; she had basically lost the right to fulfill the role they had wanted for her after what had happened to her, and she was exiled. That was fine, she didn't care anymore, all that mattered was finding Olga…saving Olga. Thus, with renewed purpose, she left the kingdom to make a difference on the outside.
Venturing with nothing but the clothes on her back and a few coins she had managed to save up beforehand, She intended to traverse this world in search of her sister and, at the end of her journey, be reunited once again so they could be a family. To be with the one person she truly considered all she had left.
"No matter where you went, I'll find you and we can be together again, I won't let something like that ever happen to you," were the parting words she left on the borders of Nidalivier.
At first, the journey had shown itself to be a beautiful experience, filling her heart with glee, and breathing so much life within her… she felt so grateful to be alive. Seeing the unknown wide world, the breathtaking waterfalls, the lush green forests spanning for as far as the eye could perceive, scorching deserts, and so many sites that pulled at her heart.
It was a time she truly understood her sister's love of the outside world back then.
But the longer she traveled, the more the outside world proved to be much more dangerous than she had ever been told.
Countless challenges she crossed along her journey, concerning both scarce supplies and the ever-present threat of monsters.
And it was in that long stretch of time that the girl finally came to find out the curse she carried.
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Time moved on.
Her journey across the lands of Sererus, which had once been beautiful and full of adventure, had also gained many other life experiences, joyous and tainted all in one. Time had healed her mind, the scars, all but one, had faded on her body to be nonexistent… but the scars on her heart still held strong.
But she could not stop, not until she found Olga.
She had blossomed into full womanhood. Her beauty had grown to such a point where almost no man could resist her, not anymore, having gone so far as to not just wear a cloak over her body, but even a veil over her face to obscure her appearance, and dull the effects.
Still, it had been too long, and the passage of time ran its course.
There were times when she could not escape, times when she was someone who warmed the beds of many men, from simple village chieftains to kings of distant kingdoms. Sometimes of her own free will just to acquire further information and help in her journey. Those men were doing whatever it took to keep her by her side, and continued showering the dark elf with near-endless gold and jewelry. Useful resources, both in terms of what little remained of her tainted sense of vanity, using them as resources to acquire more information.
The more they wished to keep her, the bigger the conflict that followed turned out to be, and thus she kept moving.
Having grown not just physically but mentally as well, she'd acquired skills that could be used to survive. The very skills she had sadly become most prominent had been taking advantage of her beauty, using it as a blessing instead of what drew men to her like flies.
Just the right words, a glance there, a sway of her hips there, she could make a man putty in her hands and make him do whatever she wanted. A single night turning many into addicted slaves, practically. Even made use of belly dancer routines to more completely entice those into working with her, and she had become adept at properly clothing herself in oils and perfumes to attract them.
Refusing to end up as helpless as she was with the goblins ever again.
Rather than be the one toyed with, she would be the one who toyed with them, be it in words or physically; she became adept at manipulating the opposite gender. From the beginning, the girl cautioned herself to never drown herself in physical pleasure as much as her body desired otherwise, not just to remember her goal, but also not to let the guilt of her actions weigh too heavily on her.
She… she would not fall again. If this is what it took to reach Olga and make sure she was okay, then she would gladly do as much as it took.
Doing all of this with the sole desire to find Olga, being the sole driving force behind the dark elf. Perfecting her craft till the point she prided herself as the best in the field.
During her travels, a spark of hope finally appeared when she caught wind of a familiar name: Olga Discordia. Now hailed as the infamous Dark Queen, surfacing in hushed whispers from plenty of people around. Only through these did she finally manage to grasp the vast distance between them, but at least now she knew where to go.
As for the subject of rumors? She ignored them, knowing full well her loving sister would never do such things without a valid reason.
Still hunted by several stubborn slavers, Mistiora Arte wandered across land and sea, clinging to each rumour like breadcrumbs. Despite her curse, she found some rarely gentle souls who helped, but those who grew interested in her body and nature as a dark elf continued to exist in every corner — not wishing for those kind souls who aided her, and to anyone else who were still out there to be safe, she decided to not involve the innocent, It was another reason she kept separating from them.
Yet she remembered one particular instance during her journey across the sea, where on board a large ship filled with other travellers like her, she overheard a conversation.
"Oi, have… have ya heard of what's been going on lately in that Eostia place? Hic! Th-thingsh have been getting kinda dangerous over there."
A conversation between a drunkard captain and a sailor, they tended to be quite loose-lipped seamen indeed.
"I don't know about Eostia, but did you hear it looks like another really troublesome pirate in Austria showed up, a very dangerous lady who's been responsible for a lot of deaths. It's truly saddening, but at least we're leaving the area."
The man had only started drinking, so he wasn't as intoxicated as his comrade.
"Back on the subject, it sounds like Eostia isn't doing so well either. That war between the goddess and the Dark Queen appears to still be going on." Mistiora's ears had grappled onto that info. "I heard stories about it from my mother when I was but a child, can't believe it's still ongoing. How long has it been already?"
"Pft! With such beautiful elves, it is a waste of time tryin' to ask such questions! They don't see time the same as ush! Years… hic! Years for them are no different from days or even monthsh for us."
The elf paused in silence upon those words.
"For us humans, it's probably been like… what, a thousand years?"
"Don't think so, but close a few or a couple centuries off maybe."
"Bah! Who cares!? It'sh been too damn long already! But yesh, it c-concerns the shtupid war. Aye, I've been hearin' folk're leavin' their villages in droves, runnin' off to the kingdoms outside the alliance. Don't fancy endin' up demon chow or broodstock, savvy? Fucking shame, really. Bad for trade, too. Hardly anyone left with the guts to head that way no more."
The captain gestured to people on the boat. Due to her large hood, Mistiora's appearance was hidden, so no one was still paying any particular attention to her, but she still tensed up when she felt eyes gazing at her for even a brief moment. Worried that they might get suspicious and try to uncover her face, she held her bated breath and thought of how quickly she could swim to shore if she jumped now.
But thankfully enough, such a thing did not happen.
"Weren't those Black Dogs supposed to take down the queen?"
"The Kuroinu, eh? Hehe… t-they're the last shot, I got word from a few other mercs that travel around that the leader, Vault, is planning to set up a final battle against the Dark Queen and put this entire thin' to an end once and for all."
"Thank the goddess, I hope this thing ends quickly."
As soon as she heard that information back then, Mistoria felt a pang of horror and worry, for unlike many here, she did not want Olga to be defeated.
She still had trouble believing all the rumors she heard about the Dark Queen, as she got closer and closer to her goal.
A ruler of the dark lands who was vilified. At war with the world, with a declaration that she would free all dark elves from bondage and slaughter all humans. Now, an insurmountable army had been placed between her and her sister. Due to this, a discrimination against her kind rose considerably as her kind were blamed for the casualties of war as well. This had made it nearly impossible to reach her, and the journey had become so difficult to traverse.
While it was true she had seen the good of humanity, she had seen the worst as well. She had known of the dark elf slave trade, and she knew that if the humans that were behind it were Olga's enemies, she could understand how she ended up in that position. Unlike her sister, she did not wish for the death of every single human in this world.
Still, the ones that gave her that look, that dark glint in their eyes, the look they gave her as soon as they saw her face, were just as bad as any lustful demons.
Mistoria shook her head, casting off the memories like dust from a forgotten book.The news she had received did nothing but ignite a singular purpose within her. Without delay, she turned toward the direction of the Dark tower deep within these bleak, cursed lands. She took every risk she could to shorten the journey, arcane shortcuts, shadow-walks, ancient paths long abandoned by wiser travelers. Even when the magic faded and her strength waned, she pressed on, walking for days without rest, sustained by sheer will and the hope that her sister still lived
…
"Am I… too late…?"
But as soon as she reached there, the only thing that awaited her was ruins with no trace of her sister anywhere. It was at that moment that Mistiora had momentarily lost hope and fallen into despair. All of these years she spent trying to find her were for nothing, and her dream of being reunited once again was shattered.
"It's because of them, it's because of those Seven Shield Alliance, that Kuroinu and those lustful beasts who can't help but give off those glints in their eyes — the ones who had chased after her for most of her life."
SSuch thoughts surfaced again and again as she made her way back—dark, simmering urges for revenge against whoever was responsible. T The desire flared, fierce and blinding, threatening to consume her more than once. Perhaps it wasn't just vengeance she wanted… maybe something beyond that. But she did not act on them, the girl was not like her sister after all. Mistiora lacked that unshakable confidence, that commanding strength her sister had carried so effortlessly. She wasn't the kind of person who could rise to such a role—or so she believed.
All her life was spent running and hiding. It was all to find her sister. But now what was she to do with herself? The worn map curled in her hand bore the marks of that long, desperate journey., Several kingdoms across Eostia were already crossed out, one after another, each a road traveled, each a hope extinguished. All she could do now was stare at it in silence, then slowly crumple it in her fist, as if crushing the frustration that had festered inside her for far too long.
She wouldn't bother going to the others now.
Honestly, after discovering the ruins of the Dark Tower she had wandered in a daze. fShe drifted from nearby ruins she'd believed to be safe, only to find them crawling with monsters, forcing her into a long, uncertain journey through hostile lands. Until she reached the outskirts of Geofu, the capital of Eostia and Ken, both belonging to the Seven Shield Alliance's domain.
Without even realising it, she ended up walking into another human village, one called Ledian, this one barely populated, making it easier for her to stay around as there were no guards checking for Dark Elves and no one would in their right mind bother or even care about a cloaked person. In an inn she had gone to rest, she couldn't help but look around and see as celebratory decorations were being put away, with several drunk mercenaries seeming to be rambling on and on about how, at long last, they could celebrate it all being finally over. Curious, she ended up overhearing their conversation.
"Damn, I sure do miss those two hot fucking elves, can't wait to go back to that village!"
"Oh, them?" One of his drinking buddies shook his head with a saddened expression. "Forget it, word is they settled in some town down near Ansur because the mayor's fiancée was cheating with that dark elf chick… What was her name? Lune? Grace?"
"Seriously? She probably got tired of the old man hahaha!" Others found the story amusing, coming up with different reasons behind their departure. "Shit, if I had been there I would have gladly taken them off his hands."
"Keep dreaming, you know how picky light elves can be. Arrogant bunch."
"The cunt chose a dark elf to elope with, thought both sides fucking hated each other. Clearly, it's because she just lacked the option of a proper partner, because I wasn't there!"
"Hahahaha! I'm pretty sure that a pig would be better than you!"
"Fuck off!"
She wasn't surprised to hear such things, from what she gathered from passing ears, light elves were quite numerous in Eostia, Eostia, and the neighboring Fullstar; they were commonly spotted in both major cities and even small villages living similar lives to any human. The more she listened the more she learned that one of the elves was also in fact a Dark Elf, this piece of information managed to light a spark of interest within her numb heart, given those of her kind were usually captured and sold into slavery within this part of the world and for once to find one living such a life was nothing short of a miracle.
Yet what was mentioned next made her breathing come to a complete halt.
"Rumor is going around about there soon being a public execution of the Dark Queen in Feoh."
"What? Didn't that bitch die when the Black Dogs sacrificed themselves to kill her?"
"Not sure, but apparently she managed to survive and tried to escape, but later on the Princess Knights managed to capture the woman and bring her to Princess Knight Alicia's kingdom to stand trial, you know, the blonde one who hates men. Most likely wanted to make an example out of her and do a public execution for all the fucking shit she's done."
Mistiora could hear her own heart increase, and that familiar blast of new life had been shot straight to it. Her composure weakened when she especially realized Feoh wasn't on the map of the kingdoms she had visited. Unable to control herself, she leaned in, trying to gather more info.
"Are you sure, or is that just a rumor? This is the first time I'm hearing about this.
"Just trust me, I got this information from—hm? Hey, you?!"
"—!"
In her desperation to learn more, Mistiora leaned in too close, her curiosity getting the better of her. The group of mercenaries, already deep in their cups, suddenly paused mid-laugh. One of them squinted at her, his voice slurred but sharp enough to cut through the noise.
Mistiora froze, her heart pounding as she realized she'd been caught. She straightened up quickly, trying to play it off, but the damage was done—they were onto her.
"You, the one in the cloak. You have some nerve eavesdropping on us!"
"Sorry." She whispered with a quiet tone, instinctively backing away, her cloak catching on her chair's leg.
"Now you listen here, what we're talking about is like the bread and butter of us mercenaries, you can't just listen in on our private conversations." The gruff man approached her, getting even closer, noticing the woman pulling down the hood to further hide what hid within. But even that cloak barely did much to hide her overall figure; he got to see the outline of it after the cloak had initially gotten stuck. "You know this kind of information is not something someone like you needs to know unless you're willing to provide us with a bit of compensation."
With a grin on his face, he gestured with his fingers together, clearly signaling t for coins in return. Which relieved her, for it meant he had not seen her face yet.
Unfortunately, she had no coins on her, so to avoid further complications, she tried to talk him off. "I'm sorry I don't have any money on me right now, though I do have a few accessories that may be worth something." Under her cloak, she unhooked a golden ring from her arm and offered it to him.
While she was confident in using her beauty to worm her way out of such situations—there were just too many people gathered in one place to overpower her if they lost themselves in lust.
In their drunken state, dealing with them would not lead to a pleasant outcome, regardless. So while she had the option, Mistiora already placed the gold hoop on the table and turned around to walk towards the door.
Only to have her cloak tugged, with the person behind her quickly grabbing hold of it.
"I agreed to pay, so let me go." She struggled against her capture, pulling which only served to loosen her cloak to the limit, already loosening.
"Well, would you look at that, we have a passing rich lady visiting such a shady place hehehe! What is a noble brat doing so far away from her castle? I'm curious to see what else you have on you." Another said with a greedy tone, but then his face changed. "Hm, you don't look like you're from around her—uh?"
The man's action of pulling her cloak had reached the limit, making her hood be pulled away, and for a brief moment, her white silky pristine hair, pointed ears adorned with gold jewelry, and lastly, her smooth marble dark skin. The group of men who were drunkenly chatting all around her earlier became completely stunned as soon as they saw her face.
Even with the veil on her face and hair, Mistoria felt a faint sense of unease at her face being slightly revealed as the mystery appeal of a beauty had come with its own problems; she had at least hoped that their willpower wasn't that weak. But in an instant, she knew otherwise, that this was truly bad, a dreadful feeling filling her heart as soon as she saw a familiar glint in their eyes.
And without wasting any time, she ran out the door.
"W-Wait! Come back here!" The one who pulled on her clothes shouted a few seconds later, his voice echoing from behind.
"Holy shit it's a high quality dark elf! Don't lose sight of her, the pig brothers will happily trade a pretty penny for her!"
"Pig brothers? Mandeville will pay a bigger price! He's more obsessed for Dark Elves than a bunch of pig fuckers!"
A chill ran down her spine when she heard those words. Those were famous slave traders who, upon catching her, would sell her on the market only after defiling her body. She had seen the fate of others of her kind who were not so lucky, and she was not willing to get caught when she was so close to Olga. So she ran, desperately, and with the fire burning in her heart, as now she finally knew that her sister was still alive.
All she could do was keep running to where the map pointed to Fiore, as her pursuers went after her.
Going into a forest where she had grown used to hiding from such people, she lured those who caught up to her into a spider's nest filled with various monsters on the hunt. Like bees to honey, it worked, and soon enough, they lost track of her. Reaching the forest's heart, she caught her breath, safe for the time being.
After resupplying on food, water, and bathing a bit, it was then that her next destination was decided, and she started to make her way towards the kingdom of Fiore, intending to reach the place before the execution and somehow find a way to save her sister.
Unfortunately, she soon realised the people whom she encountered at the tavern had not given up so easily. If anything, their determination had grown. More pursuers had joined the trail, and travelling the roads became more dangerous with each passing day.Even the safety of the forests began to fade. It wasn't just them, however; Rumors passed by a weary caravan that locals had been encountering demons there, with news of their being several sightings of them spotted in such places, towards Fiore…she could not take such a risk.
Cornered from all sides, she had no other options but to slowly travel around the area until she could spot an opening.
Eventually, she found refuge and rest in another town, which was several days' journey. It wasn't a small town from before, but a sprawling city with a bustling plaza and high brick walls. It was large enough to disappear in, and she was certain her pursuers had no idea where she'd gone. If she kept hidden, they'd lose her trail completely.
She would reach Olga.
{Break}
This blockade wouldn't let so much as a fly slip through its gates, but he doubted it could keep them in if they really tried.
This town, calling it a village would've been laughable. A single glance was enough to dismiss the notion. The architecture, multi-storied buildings of stone and timber, arched bridges spanning narrow canals, merchant stalls overflowing with wares, spoke of something far grander. It had clearly evolved into a thriving hub of life and business, a settlement that had outgrown the term "town" altogether. Even the sheer number of people, vendors barking over crowds, nobles riding past in crested carriages, guards weaving through the streets, surpassed anything Archer had encountered outside of the great kingdoms themselves.
"You look a bit lost, you talked with Lady Celestine earlier, right? What was it about?" Maia asked, coming to his side with curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"We didn't talk much, just that she wanted to talk to me later." He saw no reason to hide what was being discussed between him and the blonde elf.
"She's been different lately." Maia added, "Every time I look at her nowadays, it feels like I'm talking to someone else. There are even times I can't even recognise her with how she's acting, and I wonder what's going on…
In his opinion, the woman was just going through a period of denial and had fallen too deeply into a delusional belief she'd reached from just a few visions. She knew too little about the situation at hand and was grasping at straws.
That was how he perceived her change, at least.
"You should talk to her," he advised her, his suggestion getting a weird glance from Maia. She paused to consider, but then sighed dejectedly.
"I doubt it'll work. She's been looking at me differently as well."
"In any case, we didn't come here to discuss Celestine issues." While you were looking outside, did you manage to gather any useful information?" As much as he wanted to clear the air and find a way to make the goddess reborn understand the truth, there were more pressing matters to worry about concerning their two missing dark elves. As he said that, Maia showed a disappointed face and shook her head. "Unfortunately, yeah, but it's not really good news."
He couldn't help but frown at that. "What do you mean? Has Olga been captured? Or has she left already?" If it was the latter, then best to leave this place as quickly as possible rather than stay another night. Time was of the essence, and even if they were to travel at night with the increased chance of more dangers, it would at least be more beneficial since they at least knew their two quarry's destination. No matter what obstacle they faced, he was certain he could handle them.
"I'm not sure," she said, her tone hesitant. "I asked around, but all I got were half-baked rumors. Some folks claim there's a dark elf hanging around here, but it's all hearsay, no proof, no sightings, just bored folks flapping their gums."
Even if there was a dark elf here, why suddenly block all access to the village? While they are rarer than light elves, from my understanding, it is not unusual to find one or two, even if they are being discriminated against."
"That's the weird part," she admitted with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "I couldn't get any solid description that points to Olga or Chloe. Just vague talk about some beautiful dark elf woman in a concealing cloak. There's this one gang of mercs claiming they saw her face—white hair and all—but those guys are notorious liars. They've been known to spread bullshit for coin and scam people blind. Last month they were selling maps to 'hidden treasure' that led nowhere." She shook her head. "Then there's another bunch insisting she's some kind of royalty. Everyone's got a different story, and none of them match up."
So basically, they didn't have any reliable information that could tell them whether or not it was Olga or Chloe, or even someone else. "Unlikely for this to be Chloe, had it been her, then information about the person who captured her would have also been present."
"So then it's Olga? Wait, since she's a mage, that woman could just use illusion magic to change her appearance." He nodded his head but quickly added his own two cents to Maia's analysis. "She could have easily taken the face of a human instead to hide herself better. Unless she's low on strength and can't accurately use a technique like that in the first place."
To his surprise, this just ended up making Maia subdued, as she muttered silently. "Even with how prideful that bitch is, do you honestly think she would disguise herself as a human or even another race?"
"She's done it before, a little trick she used not just on herself, but me and the rest of our group when we were heading towards Fiore." She'd definitely resort to it if she didn't feel she had any other choice in the matter. She had a strategic mind, one sharp enough to slip out of most situations unscathed. While that spell in particular would be an excellent way to stay hidden, the biggest flaw was the caster themselves.
"Then why do I get the feeling you haven't completely discounted the possibility?"
"The actual problem is if she feels she's too arrogant in a situation to even need it in the first place." He knew personally that she was far too prideful for her own sake, even to the point of endangering her own life. She wouldn't do it unless she had no choice.
"Any other situation where she may not do it."
"Maybe…if she lacked the power for it at the time…or she was injured."
Archer massaged his temples, trying to get rid of his stress.
"Sometimes I question myself how some people like her managed to stay in power for so many centuries. While she had an army of demons to hide behind, without them, she's nothing more than just a slightly powerful mage at best."
A mage that, according to Celestine, could flatten a town if you wanted to. The mages and their magic system in this world were in some way less restrictive than the one he was familiar with, but also very undeveloped. The only competent mage that came to mind was Kin.
Maia interjected in his thoughts. "Let's get back to the quarantine here, there is another thing I discovered. Apparently, it looks like multiple parties are trying to find this dark elf, each with different motives. The Pig brothers, John Mandeville, the local mayor of this town, several mercenary groups, and other big names. If all these people are the ones searching for her, then it gives credence to the possibility of it being none other than Olga. What other dark elf could attract so many parties after them?"
"But the timing makes no sense," he commented, clearly, this had been going on for a while in this town, and Olga had only just escaped.
"So what do we do then? Maia asked even though she already knew the answer to it.
"We leave."
Okay, maybe she didn't. That made her raise her eyebrows. "What? You're not gonna try to save whoever this dark elf is."
"What gave you the idea that I was interested in such a thing?"
Maia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, you just give me the impression of being someone who would go out of their way to help people like that whenever the possibility arises. You've been pretty consistent with that for as long as I've been by your side. Basically an ass in shining armor that can sometimes be a softy."
That made Archer stop in his tracks as he looked at the red-headed woman with a raised eyebrow, to which she responded with a cheeky grin. "What? It's not like I'm lying, tell me one time where you minded your own business and just walked away from someone who is having issues?"
Without missing a beat, she grabbed his hand, Archer noting how the red head interlocked her soft fingers with his, and brought him along to another street. "Where are you going?" He asked curiously, having his question quickly answered when the woman led him to a discreet shop at the end of the road where various variety of fabrics and clothing were put on display.
"This is the last place where there's a guy who used to work for me, and well… Vault. If he does not have any information, then we really are out of options other than to leave the place somehow with the stupid rule." She said eagerly, leading him inside where the first thing he noticed was how most of the clothes put on sale were undergarments and riské clothing that barely covered much for women.
And the second thing catching his attention was a rather rotund man standing behind the table, greeting them as soon as they entered. A greasy face, using a tissue to wipe his face the moment he saw them, a large nose with warts all over it, tiny eyes, and even missing a few teeth in his mouth. While he preferred not to judge, Archer wondered if this guy even got any clientele in the first place with the appearance like that.
"Holy shit, you actually lost weight, Lan!" Maia went ahead and slapped the man on his back, making his entire body jiggle on the spot with a faint sound escaping his lips that sounded like the screeching of a pig. His overall appearance truly reminded the Heroic Spirit of his experience with the Pig brothers.
"Hahahaha Thanks! All that manual labor back at the shop finally paid off! Anyway, Maia-sama, you look as beautiful as ever!" He greeted her, grabbing her hand and intending to plant a kiss, only to have his head slapped away.
"Stop it with that, you know I don't like such things. Just greet me normally."
"Yes, yes, I'm very sorry! Are you here to buy another set of clothes? You didn't have to travel all the way here, I could have easily sent you the orders like usual. Please have a look, my latest designs are absolutely suited to your taste! And excellent for combat," he went ahead and grabbed something from a box, only to reveal it to be an upper jacket made of animal fur that clearly belonged to a tiger, and leather that was made from a leopard.
It resembled the leotard outfit Maia currently wore, but instead, it covered only her breasts this time, leaving the stomach, along with the middle of the chest and a large portion of her cleavage fully visible, were she to wear it. Just looking at it made his eyes twitch. What part of it offered any sort of protection in the first place?
"Wow, that looks awesome. I'll take it." The woman immediately grabbed it and left a handful of silver coins on the table. Had it been another time, then he would have face-palmed. But at this point, he had gotten used to and even expected such a reaction from the woman.
"Excellent choice, it's made from the hide of quite powerful monsters, so it's quite durable against slashes and cuts of all kinds. Excellent against monsters with claws and sharp fangs!"
"..."
He did not even try to question it anymore. At the very least, it offered protection—and that was enough for him to leave it alone..
"In any case, this time I didn't actually come here to just get some clothes. Just here to buy information if you have any."
Lan's eyes widened, and he quickly nodded his head before turning his attention to Archer. "Of course, Maia-san, but shouldn't we go somewhere more private? And who is this man next to you?"
He did not miss the slight presence of hostility from that man's tone of voice, though he stopped himself from saying anything as the redhead next to him came forth to handle the situation, by grabbing onto his arm, and pressing it between her chest, while her leg and her knee were raised up and touching his waist. Head resting against his shoulders, she whispered to the clerk with a smile.
"Can't you tell? This is my husband."
"Your… what!?" Neither man was expecting such an answer from her, and one of them shouted out with disbelief. "How is this possible? How and when did you marry this person? I've never seen him! Didn't Vault die not that long ago? Who is this man?"
He took a few more seconds to pay attention to Archer's face more closely, this time monitoring him slightly to see if he recognized him.
"White hair, grey eyes, tall and dark skin that looks like a dark elf. Wait, this can't be, my lady Maia, quickly get away from him! He is the one who killed Vault!" Lan shouted, running towards Archer, intending to attack him, only to have a foot greet his face. He didn't put any force behind his attack, just making sure to push the guy away.
But it seemed like the kick held more force than he realized, into his body, causing him to blow back as he crashed against the table from his own attack. "Really?" Archer muttered while looking at Maia with a dry gaze.
Yet rather than looking a bit guilty, she instead had an innocent face while tilting her head. "What? We practically did everything a normal couple would do. Do you want to do a repeat of our lovefest during our stay at Rad~? I wouldn't mind~."
"Right now, it's not necessary."
"So you wouldn't mind later then, alright."
Fearing that the guy would attempt to murder him out of jealousy if Maia tried to do what he thought she would—he signaled at the redhead to stop. Finally, Lan got up with some bruises on his face but still looked as grievous as before.
"Calm down, you big dough ball. I was just messing with you. I know who he is and what he's done. All of this is old news. It's not like I'm okay with what he's done, but I've already aired out those feelings to him in full." She said with a melancholic smile on her face before shaking her head, not willing to dwell on the past. "Besides I can't believe I'm saying this, but their may be a small chance Vault or higher echelons of the Kuroinu may have been plotting a hostile take over, that involved a lot of rape."
The chubby shopkeeper flinched, and beads of sweat started to pour from his face. "D-did they re-really. I can't i'm-imagine why they would have gotten that intention i-in their heads."
Maia looked at him deadpan, and then sighed exasperated. "Hah, so you were in on it too… I guess the idea of sleeping with tons of beautiful women and getting more business really tickled your fancy. Business would really boom in a Cuntry as they called it, right?"
"I'd rather forget about that," Archer said, while also taking notice that the risky clothes on display would have been served better being bought by those wanting nighttime activities.
Lan was pouring water on that statement, and was shaking like a leaf. "N-no, you have to understand, I wasn't involved with any of Vault's movements or choices, they were just my patrons. They promised me a lot more clients, if I just kept feeding them information and they had blackm—"
"You're not helping your case."
"..."
Lan shut his mouth as if just realizing that Maia hadn't found anything concrete about it till just now.
Without warning, Maia smashed a wooden table with various coin-filled lockboxes breaking from the powerful fist, her face a mix of pure rage for a brief moment before she forced back a bright smile that made the former Kuroinu informant sweat even more than usual.
Maia took a deep breath and walked to Lan and began pulling at his cheeks hard.
"Listen, Lan, I don't like being viewed as someone who's only just a piece of meat to be passed around, and I especially don't like the people I think are my friends plotting things behind my back. We're friends, right?"
That sounded more like a threat than a question. "M-Miss Maia, please, Vault assured me you were aware and were his willing aid!"
She rolled her eyes, "You know, I kind of hate how it is very likely my past self would have tried to get along with Vault's plan if he told me I would be his alone — what a fucking lovesick idiot. Urgh, whatever, look, the truth is I need your help, and if you really were not directly involved in any way, then I'm willing to let bygones be bygones."
"Re-really?" Maia let his face go, the distorted whimpering making her feel unpleasant.
"Yeah, yeah, it's not like you have anything to lose either. Besides, if what Archer here tells me is true, what we're chasing at the end of this all is something you need to take care of as well. Cause if not, this town, you, and everything in the surrounding area you think you can run too are going to suffer something way worse than Vault."
The chubby man looked uncertain whether to believe that piece of information or not, looking at Archer for confirmation and getting a nod from him.
"If you say so, Maia-san."
Maia saw the interaction between them, and a Cheshire-like grin formed on her face. "You know, Lan, since Vault and the Kuroinu are gone, you're gonna need more regular customers. I'm certain Archer and any other girl who catches their eye wouldn't mind the casual purchase as long as it comes with a side of useful intel."
At those words, Archer turned to Maia. "Oi, what makes you think I'm willing to buy anything from this shop?"
"Just look around and tell me you aren't interested in any of the beautiful women around you wearing these fine treasures."
Archer had taken a look at some of them out of curiosity, and they were clearly high quality, but he wouldn't dare mention that to either of them. He turned back to look at them, but he noticed that Lan had caught his gaze, and the man's face clearly looked like he realized something. Taking a damp cloth from his pocket, shirt and wiped away the water on his face and looked at him.
"A-Are they beautiful women?"
"All of the Princess Knights," Maia said with a grin.
"Well, I don't know what I was thinking. I can't believe how rude I was to you, Archer. I should have realized you are a man of impeccable taste and character."
He then turned to Maia and offered her a sincere bow. "I must apologize, Maia, for my past actions."
She waved her hands, "Let's let the past be the past, and move on. We really need your help."
"Yes, yes, of course, I could have noticed the tension within your shoulders, and that you were pressed for time. Maybe if you come and join me for some wine to make up for my past mistakes, I can give you a great massage treatme—"
"Don't push it."
"Sorry… Force of habit."
"Alright, let's get down to business. We are searching for two dark elves, Olga Discordia, specifically, who's on the run, and her second in command, Chloe, who was kidnapped." Maia said, taking a more serious tone and moving past the unpleasant atmosphere from before.
Lan hummed, scratching his bald head with intrigue. "So the rumours were true, the Dark Queen had indeed been captured and said to be scheduled to be executed publicly."
"Well, sort of." Maya didn't go into detail with that part. "It's complicated, and trust me that bitch is gonna pay for everything she's done, but right now, in order to deal with a ton of life-important matters we need to capture her alive. Like I said before, due to some incidents in Feoh, Chloe ended up getting kidnapped by the Shirokami, and Olga ran off to save her. We need to find that woman's loyal dog first in order to locate her as soon as possible."
"Leona, huh, so she was there after all."
"You know something then," Maia said with glee, slightly relieved to have finally gotten a possible clue. "Where are they now?"
Sadly, much to their dismay, Lan shook his head. "Unfortunately, Leona, of whom you speak, is not here any longer. She passed by a few days ago to resupply and buy information from me." He then looked at Archer.
"She wanted to know more about him. Paying a pretty penny for that, and any information on Olga's second in command before leaving. She did not return here, most likely making her way to Fullstar to fulfill her contract with Mandeville. From what I understand, that man has started having that mercenary group work for him now. But unfortunately, I do not have any information on the Dark Queen."
"John Mandeville?…" Archer recalled the name, having heard it being uttered by both the late Beardsley and Olga.
"I'm still confused about something. Why the hell would someone like Leona work for that slave trader? She hates the whole practice of it."
"Fullstar is preparing for war." That information startled Maia, including Archer. "At least it seems they are." Their armies have grown since last year, and they have been going around recruiting mercenary groups to join their ranks. Those who refused had faced severe repercussions in the guise of not following the safety of the country and ensuring the safety of their citizens — this excludes groups that are already in a contract with big figures like Mandeville. They get the luxury to maintain some of their freedom. I'm certain Mandeville pushed them into a corner where they had no choice but to work for him."
"Tch, this can't be good. Those fucking snakes over there are cooking up some schemes and I don't like it. Hah… do me a favour and just send a letter with this information to Claudia and Alicia as usual, we still need to handle these other matters for now."
"O-Of course," Lan nodded his head hastily.
Archer decided to do his own inquiry. "What about the rumors of a dark elf right here in, what was this place called?"
"Uh, Karoun, and as for those rumors, there appears to be weight to it, but I'm not sure if it is the dark queen Olga herself. From what I can gather, a dark elf ran afoul of some mercenaries at a bar in the Eos plains and was spotted heading in this direction. From the rumors, it could be Olga, she was described to be immensely beautiful and had a royal bearing to her."
"Did those rumors really start two days ago?" Archer asked.
"Yes!"
"Then it can't be Olga, she disappeared a day ago."
Maia had a concerned look on her face. "I still think it's too soon to tell. Even if it wasn't Olga, she could have gone on this path and hid in the city, even if there was another dark elf on the hunt. Doesn't that woman have this whole goal of helping those of her kind going on?"
"Yeah, but if she didn't, then we're wasting time here while she and Chloe get farther and farther to that slave trader. We don't have time to waste. There are other paths to Fullstar close by, she could have easily taken one of those."
"Look, I get that, but we're also tired from our journey, and the people were hunting, they get tired too. Plus, we can never be too certain with that witch's magic at play."
Archer paused as if in thought, then made his decision. "Well, we'll stay here for a day to rest, then continue our journey, whether the people in the blockade like it or not. Meanwhile, just to be sure to find any dark elves ourselves."
"Sounds like we got a plan," Maia spoke confidently with her hands on her hips.
"Wonderful, I'm glad to have such happy customers. Now, well, that's all? Aside from this information, are you interested in any other clothing I have for you? They are of fine quality, you can try them out right now and suggest any modifications on the spot!" Grabbing other pieces of what was practically fabric held together by thin strings, barely looking any different from a bikini.
Archer realised that Maia seemed genuinely impressed, and she immediately grabbed the articles from his hand before looking around. "So, where the hell do I get changed? I ain't taking off my clothes in front of you."
"This way!" He showed her the door next to the counter leading to the back of the shop, where she walked in with Lan, trying to follow her inside, only to be pulled back by Archer by his collar.
"Unhand me! Who do you think you are touching!?" His reaction and way of talking to him had taken a complete one-eighty compared to before, which, rather than irritating the counter guardian, instead brought him a bit of amusement. "You are quite bad at hiding your intentions, aren't you?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about! It is my duty to make sure my creations fit her perfectly and everything is perfect! Now let me go!"
He started to believe there was something odd with the men around these girls; all of them carried a similarity that bore no good news in the long run, as if they would take whatever chance to unwind something pent up a little. The only normal one was Klaus so far, but only because the man had become mostly paralyzed, though Claudia recounted plenty of stories about her husband, where she painted a rather reliable and honourable man who helped her in every possible way.
Everyone else always were either scheming something or trying to rape the girls.
Given how long it had been going on, he doubted it was solely Draco's influence. While a Beast's powers and its capacity to corrupt, were formidable, even she couldn't be everywhere at once. Nor was she powerful enough to manipulate so many people in such a short span of time.
'People are just weird, I sure hope those in Grünes remain the same.' Especially when Anna and Grace were there, and those women could easily attract the wrong kind of attention. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized he said that part out loud for Lan to hear.
"Shit," Maia's voice came from the other side, struggling with something. "Don't tell me I fucking gained weight, you used my regular sizes, right!?"
"Y-Yes! If you would let me come in, then I may fix yo—" Lan barely finished his sentence before the door opened slightly with an arm shooting out and grabbing onto Archer's cloak.
"What are you doi—urgh!" Archer pulled himself inside in an instant without even getting a chance to resist, pulling in Lan by reflex.
The moment both men saw Maia topless was the moment Lan was pushed out by Maia herself. "Sorry, I kinda need a client's opinion on this."
"A-ah, I can help!" Lan tried again to enter but found the door to be locked. Lan couldn't help but be a bit worried, he had not anticipated that she would have come to this place after such a long time, or else he would have made ample preparations!
Still though…
He was taken aback by the way this man, who had killed the person she loved, was being treated right before his eyes. 'What could have possibly happened that I was unaware of?' Lan stood there in disbelief, trying to make sense of the situation. The confusion twisted into something darker, and before he could stop it, a wave of jealousy began to rise up within him.
"Damn it, I paid a month's worth of my savings for that special wine… I have to find a way to get her to drink it."
Standing there, he heard a long conversation going on inside for several minutes before everything went quiet. Wondering why she had not yet come out, Lan tried to call out her name multiple times, only to be completely ignored.
"What is going on…"
Frowning, he went ahead and pressed his ears against the door frame, trying to catch a whiff of the conversation and learn what was truly going on between them. The man instead heard a sound that made his heart clench.
"Ah~!"
"Maia-san!?"
"I-It's nothing! He's just helping me dress! Don't pull so hard~!" Her voice echoed from the other side, but that didn't help calm Lan's heart at all.
For that sound sounded several times later on.
What was going on inside there!?
At some point, he got worried, trying to look through the keyhole, only to see nothing but darkness on the other side and a faint trace of a particular scent wafting to his nose. "Eh, isn't that…"
He immediately recognized it, having tasted the product before to see just how strong its effect was whenever he went to visit the local brothel. His face paled and then turned pure crimson with both anger and envy. "Shit, she drank the wine I left it there! Maia-san, is everything okay!?"
"J-Just putting on the other c-clothes!"
"I only handed you one piece of clothing!"
"Shut up, Lan! Your voice is ruining the mood!" She shouted while he felt like crying tears of blood. Both cursing and somewhat even admiring this Archer fellow.
Lan pressed his ear harder against the door, his heart pounding in his chest. The muffled sounds from the other side were unmistakable, soft gasps, the rustle of fabric, and Maia's voice, breathless and unsteady. His face burned with a mix of anger and humiliation. He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms, as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
He needed to stop this!
"Maia-san! I couldn't help but notice some garments that seemed to suit Archer's taste. If you would like, I can show them to you."
Just a little peek! He was willing to be satisfied with just that!
"…"
The pause lasted a long time.
"Hell yeah, I'm coming right out!"
"Quiet you!"
.
.
.
(Lime Beginning)
(Earlier)
"Get in here," Maia whispered, yanking Archer by the wrist.
The door clicked shut behind them as he steadied himself as Maia released her grip, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. The changing room was surprisingly spacious, with a plush chair in the corner and a small table where a bottle of wine sat uncorked. Despite that man's personality… at least he had good taste with the overall decor of the place.
"What exactly are you doing?" he asked, maintaining his composure despite the sight before him.
The redheaded Princess Knight stood there in nothing but red laced string panties, sheer red stockings clinging to her thighs, held up by delicate garter belts. Of course, the woman was still not wearing a bra. The skimpy undergarments hugged her curves in ways that left little to the imagination, though she seemed displeased as she adjusted one of the garters that dug into her flesh.
"This is your fault," she accused, glaring at him while gesturing to where the fabric strained slightly against her hips. "All that delicious cooking you've been feeding me has made me gain weight. I can barely fit into my usual size anymore."
The Counter Guardian crossed his arms, refusing to be baited. "I fail to see how my culinary skills are to blame for your current predicament. If anything, it's your fault for having no self control in the first place."
"Don't play innocent," she retorted, turning to examine herself in the mirror. "Before you came along with your fancy recipes, perfect seasoning and handsome smug face, I could slip into anything. Now look at me!"
Despite her complaints, the very slight additional curves that she was lamenting about did very little diminish her beauty. The slight snugness of the garments against her skin didn't detract from her appeal, quite the opposite.
And it wasn't like her job as a mercenary won't get rid of that extra weight in time.
"If you're fishing for compliments, you should know that's not my style," Archer said, though his eyes betrayed him with a quick sweep of her figure.
Maia caught his glance in the mirror and smirked. "I don't need compliments. I need you to help me decide if this is worth buying for us to use later." She reached for the wine bottle. "Lan always leaves refreshments for his special customers. Want some?"
"I'd rather keep a clear head," he replied, watching as she poured herself a glass. "And you should too, considering our situation. I don't trust that man, his intentions towards you are as clear as day… surely you're not that blind."
"The girl waved her hand, "He's a pervert but he's not that stupid to make such a mistake. Even if he tries something, I'll just beat him up." She downed the bottle, guzzling down half of it like it was ale. "It's a prissy drink, but it's pretty good. Sure you don't want to try?"
The unusually strong stench of alcohol alone made his nose burn from a distance, "Positive. Now, if there's nothing else, I should step outside before your associate gets the wrong idea."
Maia stepped closer, the scent of wine on her breath mingling with her perfume that tickled his nose. "Oh, there's definitely something else. I need to know if these look good enough to be worth the gold. Turn around."
"Seriously?"
"Come on! It's just a few seconds."
Reluctantly, he complied, hearing the rustling of fabric behind him.
"You can look now," she said after a moment.
He turned to find her in a different ensemble—this one even more revealing than the last. A corset-like piece that pushed her breasts up, hugged her body while leaving her nipples exposed, the bright pink nubs as stiff, her bottom half barely covered with a high-hip T-back thong that hugged itself snugly against her lower region.
For what felt like the hundredth time, he had to wonder how these clothes exist in this time period. No different to a swimsuit or a thing that belonged in a fetish play… but then again, such arguments could also be made with several Heroic Spirits he met.
"This is ridiculous," Archer muttered, keeping his gaze on her eyes. "You don't need my opinion on… that."
"Come on, don't be such a prude," Maia teased, taking another sip of wine. The alcohol was clearly starting to affect her, a rosy flush spreading across her cheeks. "I value your input. Besides, you've seen me wearing less."
That was true, but the circumstances had been different then.
"The quality looks fine," he said tersely. "You should get dressed."
"Fine? That's it?" She pouted, then grinned, closing the distance between them. Her arms slid around his neck, her body pressing against his with deliberate ease. "I was hoping for a bit more... enthusiasm. Maybe something like, 'Damn, Maia, you look good enough to eat' or even a nice, 'Turn around and let me see if that thong's as flimsy as it looks' before taking me atop every surface of this room. Come on, Emiya, you're gonna make me think you don't appreciate the view~"
She teased him by calling his name.
He noticed the change in Maia's demeanor immediately. Her face had grown increasingly flushed, a deep crimson spreading across her cheeks. As she pressed herself against him, he felt her bare nipples, hard as diamonds, grazing his chest through his shirt. Her breathing had become heavier, each exhale warm against his neck.
His eyes narrowed, darting to the wine bottle on the small table. "Maia, is that wine spiked with something?"
She shook her head, her red hair swaying with the movement. "Already checked before I took a sip. It's just regular wine, I promise. I'm not that careless." Her fingers traced patterns on his shoulder before sliding to his chest, her touch deliberate. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not that."
"Then why are you acting like this?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders to create some distance between them.
Maia looked up at him, her eyes hazy but determined. "Because I want you. Is it so hard for you to believe that I'm just horny because you're around? With all of the crazy shit that has been happening around us, despite all the times we've seen each other we hadn't had a chance to fuck each other's brains out since you left me at Luu-Luu's kingdom." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I want to feel your hands running down my body as you ram that big, hot, cock into me~ So what do you say? Wanna blow some steam off~?
"No," Archer replied flatly, his expression deadpan as he stared down at her.
"Come on! Why do you have to tease me like this?" Maia whined, pressing her nearly naked body against him more insistently, rubbing her breasts against his chest, hard nipples poking through his clothes. Her lips found his neck, trailing hot kisses up his jawline while her hand boldly slid down between them to cup his groin through his pants, palm rubbing insistently against it, trying to get a reaction from the Counter Guardian. "Don't act like you don't want this too, big guy. You got to be packing a lot of pent-up frustration down here since we last did it~"
Archer let out an annoyed sigh as she continued her assault, peppering his face with kisses that grew increasingly needy. The heat of her palm through his clothing was becoming difficult to ignore, especially as her fingers began to massage him with practiced skill of some that knows how to get some going.
"Fine," he said firmly, grasping her wrists in one swift motion. Before she could protest, he spun her around and pressed her against the wall, his body pinning hers from behind. "If we're doing this, we're doing it my way and quickly."
A shiver ran through Maia's body as his breath tickled her ear and how he was taking control. "Now that's more like it, big guy. Ready to fuck me up." she purred, arching her back to press her rear against him.
"Yeah. No. I'm not going to be doing that here," Archer growled, ignoring the woman's constant teasing. Even more certain that there was something in that wine, while the girl was quite bold… she never went this far in such a scenario.
His free hand came down hard on her ass, the sharp smack echoing in the small changing room. Maia's body jerked forward, a loud moan escaping her lips as pleasure rippled through her.
"Keep still," he commanded, landing another firm slap on her other cheek.
"Make me," she challenged breathlessly, her skin flushing red where his hand had connected.
Archer gripped her hips, holding her in place as he moved his hands upward, sliding them around to cup her breasts through the corset. The material was thin enough that he could feel her hardened nipples pressing against his palms. He squeezed the soft mounds firmly, making her gasp.
Finding the stiff peaks with his fingers, he began to roll and tug at them through the fabric, applying just enough pressure to walk the line between pleasure and pain. Maia's body trembled against him, her breathing growing ragged as he continued his ministrations.
"Ah~!" Maia moaned loudly, unable to contain herself as he pinched particularly hard as he nibbled her ear.
"Maia-san!?" Lan's voice came from the other side of the door, accompanied by a hesitant knock.
Maia bit her lip, trying to suppress another moan as Archer continued toying with her sensitive nipples, refusing to relent despite the interruption. Her eyes glittered with mischief, planning to push the envelope.
"I-It's nothing! He's just helping me dress! Don't pull so hard~!" she called back, her voice deliberately breathy. The grin on her face made it clear she was enjoying this dangerous game.
Archer leaned in close to her ear. "You're playing with fire," he whispered, giving her nipple another firm tug that made her knees shake and claw against the wall.
"Maybe I like getting burned," she whispered back, grinding her ass against his hardening length. Looking upwards and pulling his head, her tongue invading his mouth with hunger.
Archer hummed at that, and moved one hand to her pussy, moving the flimsy wet thong out of the way, before shoving several digits into her soak folds. Maia's moans were muffled thanks to Archer's other hand quickly moving to her mouth. Maia could only let him continue to play with her body, before he shoved some of his fingers in her mouth, the red head eagerly sucking on them. Maia moaned, words muffled by her still sucking on his fingers, sucking and slurping them.
Her desperate moans vibrated around his fingers as she sucked them hungrily, her eyes pleading with him as she ground her hips back against his hand. She released his fingers with a wet pop, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Mmm~ Please," she begged, her voice a hoarse whisper between slurps as she returned to sucking his digits, "just Ah! fuck me already." Her words came out garbled and needy as she writhed against him.
Archer shook his head firmly, though his own desire strained painfully against his trousers.
"Not here," he said with finality, his voice low but unyielding. The thin walls and Lan's obvious eavesdropping made this far from ideal. He wouldn't give that man the satisfaction of hearing them. "This will have to do for now."
Frustrated but unwilling to lose what pleasure she was getting, Maia whimpered and pushed back harder against his hand. Archer responded by curling his fingers inside her, finding that spot that made her thighs tremble. He worked his fingers with practiced precision, his thumb circling her clit as his other hand continued teasing her nipples.
"You're making this too difficult," he whispered against her ear, feeling her body shudder as his fingers continued their rhythm inside her. The wetness coating his digits told him everything he needed to know about how turned on she is right now.
Maia whimpered around his fingers, her tongue swirling between them as she sucked harder, mimicking actions that made her intentions perfectly clear what else she wanted to do, but it did nothing to change his mind. When he finally withdrew them from her mouth, a thin strand of saliva connected them to her lips.
"Pleeeeeaaaaaassssssseeee," she slurred out, her voice barely audible. "I Ah! need you inside meeeeee. Or let me Mmm~ at least suck you off. I promise Ah! To do a Ah! Good job!"
"Not here," he replied firmly, though his own breathing had grown heavier. "This isn't the time or place. This is just to help you calm down."
Outside, they could hear Lan pacing nervously, occasionally pressing against the door. The man's desperation was almost palpable at how much he wanted to peek or be in Archer's place. The guy was an open book to both of them.
Lan knocked on the door again, more insistently this time.
"Maia-san, is everything okay!?" His voice cracked through the door.
"J-Just trying on the other c-clothes!" Maia bit back a moan as her inner walls clenched around Archer's fingers when they hit just the right spot.
"I only handed you one piece of clothing!" Lan protested like a squealing pig, completely oblivious to the fact she'd grabbed more while he wasn't looking.
"Shut up, Lan! Your voice is ruining the mood!" Maia snapped, her breath hitching as Archer's thumb circled her clit with deliberate pressure. She pressed her forehead against the wall, struggling to keep her voice steady while pleasure coursed through her body.
"But—" Maia heard Lan say something else, but she stopped paying attention to him, more focused on Archer's fingers being placed back in her mouth, silencing her once more.
"We need to finish already," he told her, his other hand working faster between her legs, feeling her inner walls clench around his fingers. He curved them upward, finding the spot that made her entire body tense.
Her eyes widened, pupils dilated, body trembling, with pleasure as she gushed her pussy juices against his hand, her muffled cries vibrating against his fingers as she shook in his grip. Archer held her steady as the waves of pleasure coursed through her, not relenting until she sagged against him, spent.
When he finally withdrew his hand, but still held Maia up before she turned in his arms, her face flushed and satisfied. "You're cruel bastard," she murmured, though her smile betrayed her true feelings as she still had a messy evidence between her legs that showed that she enjoyed herself.
"And you're reckless," he countered, stepping back to create some distance between them now that she had calmed down.
Archer looked down at his wet fingers, still glistening with evidence of their encounter. Maia grabbed a nearby cloth, wiping herself clean before adjusting her undergarments with practiced ease. Her face still flushed from her climax, the room smelling slightly musky, she began gathering her clothes and the garments that she wore. Just as he was about to Trace something to clean his hand, Maia spoke up.
"Here. Let me help clean that up."
She stepped to him again, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she took his hand in hers. Without a word, she brought his fingers to her lips, her tongue darting out to lick away the remnants of their encounter. She sucked gently, her mouth warm and wet, before releasing them with a soft pop. Her grin was wicked as she met his gaze. "There. All nice and clean," she purred.
He looked at her silently, watching as she slipped back into her regular clothing with remarkable speed. The transformation from seductress to mercenary happened in moments—only the lingering flush on her cheeks betrayed what had occurred.
"I'm buying these," she declared, holding up the risqué garments. "For later."
The promise in her eyes made his throat tighten, but he maintained his composure. "If you insist."
A soft knock interrupted them. "Is everything alright in there?" Lan's voice carried through the door, tinged with suspicion and poorly disguised jealousy.
"Just finishing up," Maia called back, smoothing her hair. She gave Archer a wink before unlocking the door.
"Maia-san! I couldn't help but notice some garments that seemed to suit Archer's taste. If you would like, I can show them to you."
Archer noticed the eager grin on Maia's face and held back a face palm.
"Hell yeah, I'm coming right out!"
"Quiet you!"
Maia didn't seem to mind Archer's annoyance, practically bounced with excitement at trying new clothes to tease him with, already moving toward the door to check out more clothes. Archer just shook his head.
.
.
.
(Lime End)
Check 73.2 for the next part of the chapter.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.