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Chapter Text

Chapter 1

She smiled happily. She had done it! Finally! With all her might had she hammered peace into this stupid, irrational world, had she levelled cities to the ground and pounded mountains to dust so that the slaughter could end. She had won the war against all odds and crushed her opposition. Even the meddling of Being X couldn’t stop her. After sixteen gruelling years in either poverty or mortal danger she would be finally able to live a life away from struggle and hardship! It was hard to believe, but she had well earned it.

Her promotion to Colonel last minute was the cherry on top. Maybe in a few years after all the paperwork was done, she could retire early and enjoy her nice officer´s pension. That would be wonderful. But before that she wanted nothing more at the moment than to get out of her uniform. Coming fresh from the battlefield after quelling a minor rebellion in the city nearby, she was in need of rest. Looking intimidating and firing a few warning shots was nothing exhausting for her, but after years of missions without sleep for days on end she had plenty of naps to catch up to.

She opened the door to her room in the “requisitioned” hotel that her battalion occupied for the time being and was ready to unsling her rifle from her aching shoulders as a strange sense of nausea overcame her. What was that? Thinking nothing of it she took another step forward and blinked.

When she opened her eyes a split-second later everything erupted in blinding light. Years of trained instincts kicked in and she immediately threw up a mage shield. Her gun seemed to teleport to her hand in an instant and she cast a major enhancement formula on herself. All of this happened before her eyes had even the chance to adapt to the sudden increase in radiation.

As they did she was left speechless. There were not many things that could shock a veteran of her calibre. Especially not someone who had argued with a spiteful would-be deity. Multiple times! But being transported to a fantasy realm was apparently one of them.

Her magically enhanced brain raced at for normal mortals unfathomable speeds. She analyzed the crowd and made a worrying discovery: There were people with animal heads and features, but all of them walked upright. They were dressed in colourful, but medieval looking clothes which matched the surrounding architecture. It looked, for lack of a better word like fantasy... For what else could this be? She sent out a self-developed illusion disruption formula which yielded no results. It must all be real!

She turned her head in slow-motion to take in the scenery in front her, even though to any outside observer it must have looked like she was breaking her neck at the speed with which she was moving. Nothing that she was able to see looked like a threat to her at the moment. If this was indeed a medieval society, than guns and grenades were likely nonexistent. But if such biologically absurd things like demi-humans and giant domesticated lizards existed, than magic probably did as well; and there was no telling how powerful it in this world could be.

Now after she was sure that she probably had a few seconds to make a plan, without being shot at with anything that could actually be a threat to her, she tried to think about her next move. That bastard Being X must be at fault! He was almost certainly sore about his loss and did the stupidest thing he could think of by robbing her of her hard earned life of comfort. Was there no end to his arrogant cruelty? Nonetheless philosophy could wait for later.

Tanya was probably alone in this new world, because where she had just come from there had certainly not been any cat-people. That meant that her precious battalion would not be able to help her, so she had to rely entirely on herself. What could she do? Gathering good intel was the first step for any successful covert operation and she needed it more than ever in order to not get noticed by the general populace. Who knew what the people here did with outsiders? Maybe it was custom to eat them for all she knew.

So to learn more about this strange culture she needed to blend in with the crowd, which was difficult considering her current attire. Using an illusionary formula to disguise herself she quickly created an immaterial mantel to cover up her uniform. She kept her mage shield up but lowered its intensity so that it was now completely invisible to the naked eye. Her rifle was promptly switched for her combat knife which she hid inside her sleeve.

All of this happened in barely six seconds since her arrival, thanks to her extensive use of enhancement magic and her brilliant intellect. She wasn’t called a child prodigy and the empire´s best soldier for nothing. Due to the short duration of her preparations in real time only a single child seemed to have noticed her, but luckily kept quieted.

Colonel Degurechaff, as she would have been called if her titles meant anything in this land, made her way to the nearest alleyway and leaned inconspicuously against a wall to listen in on the mundane conversations of the citizens. This brought the second shock of the day: The townsfolk were not conversing in English or German, but in Japanese!

How was that possible? Sixteen years of living in another world and a good portion of memory fragmentation from her cursed Type 95 had made recalling anything from her first life a difficult task, but she spoke her native language still fluently enough. After overcoming the irritation of adapting to something that she would have never guessed to ever need again she quickly learned a great many useful things.

Firstly, this place was called Lugnica and, if she interpreted the conversation of some merchants correctly, they were in the capital of the kingdom; though some kid made a joke about there not being a king currently. Curious. Who ruled the land in that case? She filed that away for further study.

Secondly, magic existed here or at least the concept of it. It was hard to confirm because nobody openly used it, but people talked about it without apparent wonder or disdain so it was logical enough to assume that it was commonplace.

Thirdly, and most importantly, these were normal civilians. She wasn’t exactly an expert on the matter as she only exchanged a few pleasantries with the waitress at the small cafe Visha liked to visit from time to time. Visha...

A wave of sadness hit her. Of all things in the empire she would miss Visha the most. Tanya hoped that she would be alright without her commander. Nonsense! Viktorya was a strong woman that could surmount every difficulty! She was her best trainee and had nearly killed as many enemies as Tanya herself. Had she not been forged from the strongest steel the empire had to offer than she would have broken long ago! They all would continue without her, They had to, because that was the way she had envisioned them to be.
Her loyal subordinates. Her faithful meat-shields. Her trusted... friends.

But there was no sense in dwelling on the past. She could only move forward now. The next thing she wanted to find was a public library. It sounded unrealistic, but this place looked crazy enough that it was worth a try in her opinion.

As she made her way through the crowded streets with the hood of her illusionary cape pulled deep over her face, she noticed a child lying on street in front of a rapidly approaching carriage drawn by one of these giant lizard-creatures. While she would normally have waited for another person to come to the rescue, nobody amongst the bystanders seemed to spring into action.

Cursing her foolish decision already while she was running she took off without using her magic. That could possibly attract unwanted attention after all. She was fit enough without it to still be faster than most, contrary to what her regrettably short stature might say about that. With one grip to the forearm of the child she ripped it off the floor and propelled them both out of harm’s way onto the side walk.

Ideally that would have been enough, but the mother of the little troublemaker was unpleasantly thankful and demanded to compensate Tanya. When she asked for the nearest library the woman had no clue so instead Tanya asked for small amount of currency as she was currently totally broke. Considering the frown on the mother´s face this had not been the demand she had been looking for, but she couldn’t just back out now after she had promised to reward her for the rescue of her child. What the individual coins were worth was unfortunately still a mystery.

After that little stunt on the main street she wanted to lay low a little bit to slip out of the collective memory. It was bad enough that she had been in the eye of the public for a few minutes. No need to make it worse. Another dark alleyway was perfect for solving that. A problem only arose when it ended in a dead end and she was cornered by a bunch of thugs trying to rob her. Keyword “trying”. On dash forward and she was in striking range. Then, with one magically enhanced punch to the face she knocked out the leader before she disposed of the second robber with a kick as well. That left only the smallest one standing, who was shaking in fear when she levelled a baleful glare at him.

Tanya had no desire to hurt children, but these were criminals. They chose to not become valuable members of society, but instead worked actively against that. Thieves and Robbers lived off the hard work of others and contributed nothing. And if she couldn’t stand one thing then it was parasites. Through her foggy memory she recalled that it had been exactly that type of person that killed her all those years ago.

So she had no problem with scaring or eventually forcibly motivating the young criminal to get some useful information out of him. Now that she was presented with the opportunity to extract some valuable facts out of him, she wasn’t going to pass that up. Asking for them otherwise may make her inexperience look suspicious. If things escalated she could permanently get rid of them all or deliver them to the nearest police station or however such an institution here was called.

Just as she wanted to begin her interrogation though, a new distraction showed up. A little girl in exceptionally skimpy clothing raced in their direction while yelling:

“Out of my way!”

Nobody was that much in a hurry if they were not fleeing from something. Taking into account that this alley was a dead end, the girl had surly not thought this through. Why was she fleeing? Probably because she had done something bad. Perhaps the girl stole something? That theory seemed plausible enough in view of her torn clothes.

Should Tanya stop her? A decision had to be made.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Would she gain anything from stopping the thief? Possibly. The girl was sprinting so fast that whoever followed her must be nearby. If she apprehended her then the rightful owner could arrive soon after and Tanya would gain a massive favour by helping them out. It was also an action that could easily be excused with “doing the right thing” as thiefdom was a universally illegal practice. Being a morally upright human being was hopefully not too suspicious.

The opposite was also true. What if she was blamed for letting the thief escape or even framed to have actively helped her? She was a newcomer to this land. Undoubtedly the people here would not treat her fairly. In that case she would have to reveal her power and flee what would make her a wanted criminal. She would not let that happen.

With one swift motion she had moved to intercept the potential criminal.

“Halt right there young lady. Whom are you running away from?”

Her Japanese sounded a bit off, but that was a problem for a later time.

The girl did not bother to answer and instead tried to move around Tanya which she prevented by tripping her and pinning her to the ground. Melee was normally not her forte, but that was when she was fighting against fully grown men at speeds that normal humans would find impossible to follow. A mere child was no opponent to her.

“Let me go! What do you want?” screeched the girl.

“I stopped you because I suspect you to have stolen something.”

“Yeah? And so what?”

“I would like you to hand over whatever it is you stole.”

“No!” she pouted like a little child.

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t see that you have much choice in the matter considering I have you pinned to the floor at the moment. The original owner will surely come any second now and I doubt they will be as friendly as I am.”

The thief seemed to think about that and was just opening her mouth to answer as Tanya was struck by a heavy fist from behind. After a stunned second she turned her upper body and savagely backhanded the man into the wall where he fell down with the audible cracking noise of a fractured jaw.

He was one of the two she believed to have incapacitated earlier, but it appeared as if the small thug had managed to wake him from his head-trauma induced sleep. It was a critical mistake to leave the tiny robber conscious as she now realized. When she had turned her focus away from him in favour of apprehending the thief-girl she had honestly doubted he would be able to do anything in his shock state, but she had been wrong.

In general, she should have used more strength to force them out of action. The only reason she did hold back was because she didn’t want to kill them. In hindsight that would have been not too terrible of an outcome.

It only was a short moment in which her attention shifted, but the damage was already done. The girl beneath her used her inattention to roll Tanya off with surprising strength began to sprint away with even more unexpected speed. Did she use enhancement magic? No normal human should be capable of producing wind currents that strong by simply running. No time to find out either way.

Tanya threw her combat knife so that it would impact the running girl with the grip end in the hope that this would knock her out, but the thief jumped in exactly that moment to the side of a wall and leaped across the street to the next.

Only seconds remained before it would be too late so she had to go all out now. Magic crashed through her veins and her eyes began to noticeably glow with ethereal light as she kicked of the cobblestone street in a large dust cloud. With nearly the speed of a bullet she impacted the fleeing girl and knocked the air out of her lungs mid jump.

Something small and shiny flew out of her hand, but capturing the criminal had priority. A small shock-formula that disrupted her central nervous system turned her into putty in her hands when she softly touched down and laid the girl to the floor.

Suddenly there was movement behind her.

“Greetings. May I ask what happened here?” asked a startlingly handsome redhead in a polite tone.

She did not let that disarm her. The man was obviously well built and carried himself in a manner that showed that he probably knew how to use that sword that was strapped to his side. Not to mention the white uniform he wore which identified him in all likelihood as a member of the local law enforcement. He was a potential threat, in spite of what his dazzling smile and relaxed posture tried to tell her.

“Ah, some simple criminals you see. These two there tried to rob me and I retaliated. The third one unfortunately escaped.”

With slight frustration did she notice that the small thug was noticeably absent from the scene. At least she had to give him credit for being somewhat smart and fast on his feet.

“And the girl there?”

He nodded in the direction of the motionless thief on the floor.

“I saw her running away with something she had stolen from someone and I stopped her so that the rightful owner can catch up with her. By the way, what is your name Sir?”

“Ah, my manners. I am Reinhard van Astrea, but just call me Reinhard please.”

All of the sudden the redhead stepped to the side. A split-second before another girl would have stumbled into him. Impressive perception.

Radiant silver hair and an incredibly pale skin tone were the first noticeable features of the girl (or was she a young woman?) Her expensive white and purple dress clearly marked her as a member of the upper class. This was perhaps the victim of the theft.

A theory that was confirmed when she breathlessly spoke:
“Have you seen a little, blond girl coming through here? She is... oh.”

Her sentence trailed off as she noticed the girl in question lying on the floor.

“Has she stolen something from you?” asked Tanya. She wanted to bring this whole affair behind her as quickly as possible and go undercover again.

“Yes. She stole my insignia.”

What in the Kaiser´s name was an insignia? Did that thing qualify her for something?

She went over to the place where she had tackled the thief to the ground and began searching for the small, glittering object she had seen earlier.

It was a shining black stone with an intricate gold pattern. Curiously it began to glow red when she touched it, but that probably only meant that that it was magical in nature.

“Is that the insignia?” she said as she held the stone high so that the silver-haired girl could see it.

“Yes. Thank you so much.”

The poor creature was close to tears when she took it. Such a stone must be extremely valuable if she was so emotional about getting it back. Now Tanya nearly regretted it that she had given the item back. She could have used the money.

Masking the disappointment in her voice expertly she tried to get away as soon as possible:
“If that is all then I will take my leave now.”

“I am afraid that that will not be possible. If I may be so bold as to enquire for your name Lady...?”

What was that now about? Had she done something illegal? Should she use a fake name? No, nobody here knew it anyway. Lying would only lead to problems later on.

“Tanya. Tanya von Degurechaff.”

“Very well Lady Degurechaff. Would you do me the honour and accompany me to my family home please?”

His tone did not leave room for arguments. Fleeing now would make her a wanted subject and she really did not need any more attention! She had no other choice than to play this little game for a while longer.

“I see. Please lead the way Sir Reinhard.”

This was going to suck.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

“What crimes have I been accused of if I am allowed to ask?”

“Nothing of the sort, I can assure you. As far as I see it you just took down three criminals and reunited a royal candidate with her lost possession. A very heroic and selfless act in my eyes.”

She internally snorted at that. At least she had a connection to a royal candidate now, which sounded pretty useful if it meant what the name implied. From what she had heard on the streets the country was currently without king. Should the silver-haired girl become queen than she could maybe cash in a large favour for her “noble” deed.

“Then why is it that I have to be escorted like that?”

“My apologies, but we better speak about this behind closed doors. It is a delicate subject matter that requires great prudence and privacy.”

What could be so important to Reinhard? Had it something to do with the magic she demonstrated? She let her illusionary hood slowly shrink away as inconspicuously as she could manage. No need to do it later when he had his full attention on her. That left her with the problem of her now exposed uniform. People gave her a few weird looks, but it luckily wasn’t too far until they reached one of the biggest castles Tanya had ever seen.

Not even the Kaiserpalast in Berun could compare to the architectural marvel that was the Astrea estate. Reinhard was definitely not a simple knight. What was going on here? What game was he playing?

When they had made their way through a labyrinth of corridors and richly decorated hallways Reinhard closed the door behind them and exhaled slowly.

“To make it quick Lady Degurechaff... *sigh*... you are the fifth and final royal candidate for the throne of Lugnica.”

What?

Her emotions had either not been hidden enough or Reinhard was a very empathetic person, because he seemed to directly answer her thoughts.

“It may seem surprising, but it is true. The insignia you touched showed it clearly that you have been selected by the dragon. The red glow was the sign of your worthiness to ascend the throne.”

Oh, so full on dragons existed in this world too? Ridiculous!

“Is it not easily possible for the stone to just be mistaken? I was using magic shortly beforehand. That could have manipulated the insignia to resonate with my power or something like that. Or the light of the sun caught it in a lucky angle and gave the thing the appearance of an actual glow?”

At this point she was reaching pretty far and they both knew it.

“Milady, the holy insignias do not lie. They are infallible. Nonetheless will I send for such a stone to be delivered here so that we can make absolutely sure.”

Her eye twitched at the use of the word “holy”. All of this nonsense sounded awfully similar to Being X´s usual misdeeds. Was this another petty way for him to torture her?

“And if what you say is indeed true then what does that exactly mean? I am unfortunately new to this land and have not much knowledge about its political systems.”

“You will learn more about this at the royal selection, but I believe that you will have to compete with the other candidates for the throne. Each of you will have to prove their courage and ambition before the council and the people of Lugnica.”

Again she cast a minor enhancement formula on herself to speed up her already racing though process.

So it was competition for one of the most important job positions in the country. That meant that certainly not everybody was going to play fair. Badmouthing, sabotage or direct attacks were only some of the underhanded tactics the other candidates were going to use. All to win the throne. Did she even want that?

To be king sounded only like a good idea to fools and imbeciles. True, it gave you huge power and wealth, but it also painted a gigantic target on your back. How many times in history had political leaders been assassinated? She was intimately familiar with defending from soldiers, but taking out assassins was a whole new can of worms. So why would she even try to become queen? A peaceful and stable life could be found elsewhere as well. As a merchant for example.

But the other candidates might not see it that way. After all the most likely ones to poison you after the coronation were the other candidates. Greed and envy were powerful motivators. So a cautious king would almost certainly try to kill the other competitors or at least imprison them after they had lost the game. She would not let herself be hunted across the globe or left to rot in a prison cell. “Hygiene” and “humane” were probably words that had not been invented yet.

The only logical step was to become queen and dispose of the others before they could do the same thing to her. Damn it! She was trapped again in the world of politics with no end in sight. That bastard Being X had not abandoned his old tricks it seemed. She needed to win this royal selection in order to survive.

This would be extra difficult for her, because she was technically a foreigner and had no pre-existing reputation or property to speak of. The other candidates were in all probability part of nobility. At least the silver-haired girl from earlier had expensive enough clothes to fit into that category. All of them had an immediate head start and she needed to catch up quick.

Reinhard had certainly ties to nobility and other powerful people judging from the huge wealth he displayed. Maybe she should ask him for help?

“Sir Reinhard, I worry that I am at a severe disadvantage here. Like I said, I am new to this land and I came here alone. Do you know anyone perhaps that would be willing to sponsor me?”

“I do not.”

Well, that was disappointing.

“But if you were willing to have me then it would be an honour for me to swear my fealty to you.”

She blinked in surprise. This handsome, rich, influential knight wanted to serve her? Without knowing anything about her? There had to be some sort of catch.

“That is a most gracious offer, but I must ask... Why?”

“You have proven to be a capable fighter and a compassionate soul. You seem to be headstrong and modest and you look like you have been through many battles of body and soul alike. Experience of this kind is invaluable and I would be thankful to finally stand behind a worthy cause. To be honest with you my motives are very selfish. I search for meaning and reason in life and I believe to have found it in you. I ask again... will you accept me as your knight Lady Degurechaff?”

An existential crisis was not what she had suspected, but it was as good as any reason in her book. She would need to test that to see if he spoke the truth, but he had not hesitated in slightest so far and had sounded incredibly sincere as well. This was a golden opportunity. She would be stupid to not take it.

“I accept your offer Sir Reinhard.”

He went down on one knee and presented his sheathed sword to her.

“Then I, Reinhard van Astrea, Swordsaint of Lugnica swear my allegiance to Lady Tanya von Degurechaff´s campaign to ascend the throne of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica. I shall serve her with all my heart until death. All that is mine shall be hers and all that I accomplish shall be in her name.”

Tanya had no idea if he wanted her to say something, but solemn moments like these usually required more gravitas. Maybe she should add her meaningless title as well?

“And I, Tanya von Degurechaff, former colonel of the imperial army, accept you Sir Reinhard into my services. I shall ask nothing of you that is without reason for the greater good and I shall aim to be a leader worthy of your respect and trust. Rise as my knight and rejoice.”

Good. That went smoothly. Now she needed to learn about her adversaries as fast as possible!

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Reinhard was of little use in regards of information about the other royal candidates. He had apparently known only one of them personally and heard about the three others through hearsay. All of them were actually girls or “dragon maidens” as he called it. Was that the religion of this land? It seemed so. At least the dragon didn’t demand to be called “god” so that was a plus.

First among the candidates was Crusch Karsten. A young woman that was favoured by the nobility and put much importance on independence and military might. Much more useful information was not easily accessible and for some reason Reinhard looked hesitant to talk about her allies in further detail.

Then there was the silver-haired girl they had met today. Had it really been just a few hours ago? It seemed like an eternity. Today was her first day in this strange world and she was already aiming to become queen of the most powerful nation on the continent. (Reinhard was pretty insistent that Lugnica was a global power house in spite of its weakened state.)

Her knight believed to have heard that she was sponsored by Rooswaal L. Mathers, the strongest magician in the country. Tanya had no much of an opinion of her. If it was true that you needed to present an insignia to qualify for the royal selection then this girl would have already lost had Tanya not intervened. Not only was she incompetent enough to let it get stolen, but she was also likely not powerful enough to get it back. In a straight up fight Tanya was confident to have a high chance of victory.

Apparently Anastasia Hoshin was a merchant and businesswoman from Karagi who was famous for her inventive and greedy mind. She led the most successful corporation in the known world and was constantly expanding her assets. Tanya respected her already. To build and maintain such a massive business required a huge deal of intelligence and ruthlessness. Had she not been a royal candidate then Tanya would have sought out work under her.

The last one on the list was Priscilla Barielle. She had allegedly murdered her seven husbands and showed off her massive wealth with little regard for subtlety. How anyone would want to marry a woman whose husbands all mysteriously died was beyond Tanya.

That was sadly everything she knew about her competition. Truly pitiful. Knowing the enemy was nearly as important as knowing yourself in a battle. If you could predict your adversary then you knew when to engage. If you could assess your own strengths and weaknesses then you knew when to retreat. And she knew neither.

What could Reinhard do? How much wealth had she now at her disposal? How powerful was her magic compared to the one in this world? What were the goals of her opponents? So many questions and so few answers. It was infuriating!

At least her identity remained largely a secret. Only the silver-haired girl had seen the glow of on her insignia, but there was the vague hope that she would misinterpret it. Tanya wouldn’t bet on it, but it was a possibility. The element of surprise could be used to her advantage when she made her grand debut at the royal selection.

Before that she needed to actually be familiar with the country she was supposed to rule. A task that turned out to be far harder than expected. Because for some moronic reason the universe decided that that the people here spoke Japanese, but wrote completely different! Probably another strategy of Being X to annoy her.

So before she could use the "Astrea family library" she had to learn the written language of Lugnica which was a humiliating experience to explain to the servant who taught her. It looked like she was an analphabetic fool who had never set foot into civilized society! At least that was how she felt she looked. Learning was relatively easy though. If-you-had-several-mental-enhancement-spells-active-and-doped-yourself-up-on-artificial-drugs-to-stimulate-your-neuronal-activity kind of easy. A trick that she had developed only after years of mastery and iron self-discipline to not go over her (admittedly tremendous) limits.

Meanwhile Reinhard was running some errands and informing the counsel that he had found the final candidate. Tanya had been initially opposed to revealing her existence so soon, but he had retorted that word would eventually get out about a strange guest he had and people would draw their own conclusions. The faster they got to the royal selection, the better her surprise would work.

To organize an event as big as the royal selection would luckily take a lot of time. Their guess was a week at minimum to send for all the nobles and knights across the kingdom. Only one week was a laughably short time to learn about an entire world, but that was exactly what the White Silver specialized in: The impossible.

She studied late into the night after she had managed to get fluent with the different glyphs in just a few hours. It still took longer than normal for her to read and understand a simple text, but she was getting better.

The next morning began with an unexpectedly pleasant surprise: breakfast. It was certainly a very fine and opulent breakfast for the normal human that would make everyone´s mouth water, but to Tanya it was awe-inspiring. For a veteran who had lived off of tasteless rations for years now it was like a spiritual awakening. Her mind flooded with the aromas and smells while her eyes feasted on the food that had actual colour! Yes, the soup and bread she had for dinner yesterday had been delicious, but it couldn’t compare to the table full of fruits and jams and other stuff she hadn’t even experienced in her time before the military.

She always had either been too poor or too far away from supply lines to get something like this. So as a result of her current sensory overload she just stared at the table with wide open eyes and a feeling of bliss running through her body. This truly was one of the most emotional moments she ever had across all her lives.

“Is something wrong Milady?” asked Reinhard who seemed concerned at his lady´s frozen expression.

Tanya managed to rip her eyes away from the heavenly feast in front of her and tried to smile reassuringly at her knight.

“No need to worry Reinhard. It´s just that... I have not had the chance to eat anything like this in... what feels like an eternity. It means very much to me that you have gifted me something like this once again.”

The redhead looked pleased that he had managed to move his lady nearly to tears with joy and simultaneously distraught to learn such shocking news about her.

Tanya all the while began to happily tuck into her meal and savoured each bite. If only for the food, this world was leagues better than her last.

After a hearty meal that left her feeling so full she felt as she would burst at any moment she asked Reinhard if he knew any magicians that he could call upon. If she had to fight anybody here she needed to know the capabilities of these people. Her plan for today was to study that in detail and maybe ask Reinhard if he could show her later how to use a sword. The man called himself a swordsaint so he probably was relatively good at fighting.

The reason for this blade training was that she needed a backup for her firearms which she could only use in the direst of circumstances. Not only were they her hidden trump card, but ammunition for them was also extremely limited. She had a vague idea how she could craft bullets in the future, but to set up a small factory would take time. Until then she would need a sword.

Two hours later and a extremely plain looking man arrived at the training grounds. He introduced himself as a “master of magic” (arrogance much?) and asked her what she wanted from him.

“Please explain and demonstrate your magic like as if I had never even heard of the concept. Just talk to me like you would to a complete novice.”

“Very well Milady. Ehm... I am a magician with an air affinity. That means I am able to manipulate air.”

She still couldn’t get over the fact that magic here was limited to elements. That was not how magic should function. In the empire the application of magic had been described as a mathematical routing of naturally occurring energy fields in the atmosphere. As long as you had the right formula and enough energy to execute it you could basically do anything.

“What other affinities exist?”

“Water, fire, earth, shadow and light. Although shadow and light magic are pretty rare.”

An idea overcame her. What if the magic in this world was based on fundamentally different principles? That would mean that she could potentially use two different forms of magic: The logical one and the elemental one.

“How can you find out what affinity you have?”

“Through another high-class magic user. I myself would be able to that, but it will take a few minutes.”

“Please do that.”

He touched her forehead and hummed to himself. One minute stretched into a dozen until he finally stopped and said:
“I... I believe you have shadow magic Milady.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

Shadow magic or Yin magic as it was also called was an interesting thing. It could be used to slow down opponents, blind them, disorient them or even outright weaken them. A useful set of tools that fit her usual tactics of confusion and evasion pretty well.

Everything that the wind magician told her sounded interesting, although Tanya could not try anything for herself. Yin affinities were apparently so rare that the man knew not a single person that could teach her the necessary spells. And books about the topic were also exceedingly rare. She hoped to find anything about the topic in the Astrea library, but wasn’t too optimistic.

Maybe she could invent the spells herself? She had done so in the past. But these spells were different. They did not rely on logic and mathematics. Apparently you even had to say the name of your magic out loud if you wanted to use it which struck her as a massive tactical disadvantage. Your enemy would instantly know what you wanted to do. Magic in this world was stupid.

Her temporary teacher had some control over air so it was only logical to assume that he, or at least others in his profession, could fly. When she asked him about that he claimed that only the very best of the best with exceptionally large mana pools had this ability. A good advantage for her to have. If she was one of the few people in this world who could do that then she was with high probability the best in this field. She had trained against hundreds of the best in her aerial mages ever and won. It was unlikely that the magicians here had any comparable experience.

After she paid the magician for his time and sent him away she went on a search for Reinhard. And like a dog that came when you called he for it he seemed to appear out of thin air as soon as she needed him. The redhead would make for a good right hand if he could keep that up.

“Reinhard, I was wondering if you could perhaps show me how to use a sword? I have extensive knowledge on how to use a bayonet, but my sword skills are clearly lacking.”

If he was confused by what a “bayonet” was then he didn’t show it.

“It would be a pleasure.”

One gruelling hour later and Tanya could only snarl in frustration. She had known that she was no master with the blade, but she hadn’t thought herself to be so bad. Even with her enhancement formulas had she not been able to land a single hit on Reinhard. He didn’t even seem like he was putting much effort into it.

Every single one of her lightning-fast swings and blows had been blocked or deflected in a casual, almost bored fashion. Even in close range had her knight been able to doge and sidestep all of her manoeuvres. She had not felt so weak in years.

“I am sorry Reinhard. It seems like I am actually terrible. I could not even land a single hit! Our training will have to continue for longer than I expected.”

“You are not ´terrible´ Milady. In fact I would go as far as to say that you were great.”

“How? In a real fight you could have probably taken me out in seconds.”

“Well, yes, but with all due respect, do you even know what a swordsaint is?”

“No. I thought it was a title bestowed on those who wield the dragon sword that I read about.”

“That is mostly correct Milady, but that is not the full story. To be a swordsaint means to also possess the one of a kind ability of the Divine Protection of the swordsaint.”

Divine Protection? Was this another false gift from the wannabe god?

“Since I received this protection as a child I have in fact never been hit or defeated in a duel.”

What? How overpowered was that? He had never lost? She silently thanked her luck that he was on her side.

“So the skill you just displayed is not the norm, but rather limited to you alone?”

“Yes. Although I would not call it skill. There are others who are far better knights than myself and would beat me easily if I had not my Divine Protection.”

“But fact is that you have it. So are you the best fighter in Lugnica or not?”

“... Yes, I probably am.”

He seemed quite uncomfortable with that answer so she decided not to pry.

“Do you think I have a chance against some of the stronger opponents you fought?”

He thought about that for a few seconds before he answered:
“Against most of them you would have a good chance to win with your speed and strength. But some of them could match yours without difficulty and they have more experience.”

“How likely is it that I will have to fight them in the future?”

“Unfortunately it is very possible seeing as some of them are in opposing camps to ours.”

“Then it is good that I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. Do you think you could help me improve my sword skills though?”

“I have the Divine Protection of teaching. I will advance you to your maximum potential if you so desire.”

Whatever that was, she did not question it.

“Then let us continue our training tomorrow. I still have many books to read.”

“Of course Milady.”

Just after she had changed out of her sweaty training clothes into her new regular clothes (that the seamstresses had made remarkably fast) Reinhard knocked at her door. He had of course no need to change his clothing after their sparring match, because not even a speck of dust had landed on him. How did he do that by the way?

“What is it Reinhard?”

“A messenger arrived from the kings palace. He said it was an urgent letter so I delivered it directly to you my Ladyship.”

“Thank you Reinhard.”

Tanya took the letter and read it with slightly narrowed eyes. She still had to adjust to the unfamiliar glyphs on the paper.

“It announces that the royal selection will be held in five days.”

It seemed as if she had been right with the one week hypothesis. Only four days to prepare. An idea formed in her head.

“Tell me my knight... Where do I find the poorer districts of this city?”

“Do you mean the slums Milady?”

He sounded mildly shocked.

“Yes. I believe I will have business there tomorrow.”

Tanya smiled and Reinhard shivered unnoticeably.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

She researched these “Divine Protections” before dinner and found out that they were basically another separate magic system; only more specific and not attainable by those born without one. At first the name tripped her off, but she quickly understood that these came most likely not from Being X, because they did not require the bearer to pray or worship anything in return. That bastard would never be so generous.

Dinner was delicious as expected although good food no longer had the awe-inspiring effect on her it previously caused. After wiping her mouth while thinking of her plans for the near future she decided to ask Reinhard a few questions.

“As an expert in swordsmanship would you be able to select a fitting blade for me? While I am on a mission tomorrow would be a good time so that I have at least three days to get comfortable with the blade.”

“Of course I can Milady. But... allow me the question; do you honestly expect a fight to break out at the royal selection?”

Oh, he was catching on quite nicely.

“Not Necessarily. But it seems very likely. If not at the royal selection then shortly thereafter.”

Her knight seemed distraught by the idea so she decided to cheer him up.

“Don´t worry Reinhard. I will not let it escalate into a civil war or anything close to that.”

´Yet´ was left unsaid by her. She totally missed the expression of horror that flashed through his eyes.

“Ah, and before I forget, do you have a problem with me using your appearance for tomorrow? I would like not to be seen or recognized by possible agents of the other candidates.”

“I am afraid I don’t understand Milady. Can you change your form at will?”

“No, but I can create illusions.”

She produced an optical formula that layered itself over the table and painted it at first blood red and then changed into a holographic depiction of Lugnica´s topography. It was extremely simple and required barely any attention to execute, but to Reinhard it looked stunning.

“I cannot say that I like the idea of anyone impersonating me, but if it assures my Lady´s safety then I have no qualms about it.”

“Wonderful. And lastly; as a knight of this city do you have any knowledge about why the people there are so poor that the area is only called ´the slums´? Did a war happen recently or a famine perhaps? Any information could be invaluable.”

“The witch cult is the reason for many, I believe. They attack countless smaller villages and settlements causing many people into flee to the capital for safety. Due to the loss of their possessions they often don’t have enough money to build themselves a new life here. A terribly tragic affair.”

“Yes, very unfortunate.”

They had already experienced loss and hardship. That meant that these people were hardened by life and probably really desperate... very desirable aspects in fresh recruits. Breaking them in would be fun. Only the thought was enough to bring a small smile to her face. She hadn’t really trained anybody in years!

To make sure her information was correct she left the Astrea estate in the early morning and made her way over to the slums. They indeed looked terrible compared to the clean and lively streets of the city centre, but she had seen far worse. Arene for example. At least after she had been finished with it.

There she asked some loitering thugs and even homeless people why they had come to this part of the city and patiently listened to their life stories. Some needed a bit more convincing in form of one or two small bottles of cheap booze that she had bought in bulk for exactly this reason. To not arouse any suspicion later she changed her illusionary disguise every time. From children to adults Tanya used every face that she could remember from her walk through the city earlier.

When she had heard enough she went back to a dilapidated shack where she had stored the materials needed for the next step of her plan. To gather a crowd she had bought a few baskets of fruits and bread. Using a voice manipulation formula and a sound amplification formula in tandem she went around the streets and screamed:
“Free food at the abandoned brewery! An announcement is being made! Free food at the abandoned brewery! Bread for all who want it!”

She made her way around a few blocks and repeated her message over and over until she was sure even the most drunken of lowlifes had heard her call. Then she made haste to the described place and took on Reinhard´s appearance. He was a well respected figure in Lugnica so she hoped his face would bring the people to trust her more easily.

Soon a sizable crowd gathered around her makeshift podium made from a few barrels and a plank. Many of the humans and demi-humans present looked malnourished and all had the same beaten down expression on their faces. It looked as if all hope had been sucked out of them.

Normally ordinary mercenaries would be better for the tasks she envisioned, but needed loyalty above all else. Mercs were professional veterans, but they could also be bought and they would rat out her secrets without problem to the highest bidder. They also were naturally well known and could be easily identified which was not what she wanted.

Poor, homeless, futureless peasants on the contrary were far more malleable and could be perfectly trained to fulfil exactly the jobs she gave them. Nobody would look even twice at them when they walked through the streets and for nobles they would be entirely beneath their notice; practically invisible in the buzzing chaos of the city.

Now it was time to catch some new recruits.

“Good Citizens! You all have been abandoned by society. Your hopes of a better life in the capital have been crushed and your fellow humans and demi-humans have left you here to rot away in shame and misery. The nobles, they speak of honour and bravery, but where is honour and bravery in letting innocents suffer like this is ask? Where are they with their lofty promises and overflowing money bags?”

Some huffed in agreement others spit on the ground in disgust.

“They all never gave you a chance. They never believed in you and they never trusted you. To them you are less than dirt! It is not fair that you could never show what you are truly worth. All your hidden talents and obvious strengths. They never took interest in you.”

Approving murmurs spread through the crowd.

“But not me! What would you say if I had an offer for all of you? Of an honest job with good pay and incredible benefits? I believe in you, because I know that you are not the same as these arrogant fools behind their walls of stone and wealth. I will give you a chance to show them all how amazing you can be! That you will not be forgotten, because of your race or your heritage or the place where you live.”

A few nodded ecstatically while other cheered loudly.

“Every man or woman above the age of fifteen in my employment will receive ten silver coins per month. You will be able to quit at any time and I will not punish you for it. In case you are injured I will pay for your full treatment by some of Lugnica´s best healers. Should you lose your life in an accident then your families will receive compensation in form of one hundred silver coins. All the equipment and training will be paid for by me and you will also be able to live in rent-free houses that put these here to shame.”

A look of amazement appeared on many faces.

“All of that and more can be yours with no caveats attached if you accept my offer. What do I want for that? Your loyalty. Your secrecy. Your trust. I want you to follow my command and to not question my orders. You are going to protect what is rightfully mine and slay my enemies that want to ruin our country. You are going to unearth terrible secrets and expose scandalous plots.”

Now came the real catch. If she told them about the dangers then many would only want it more to prove themselves. And it weeded out all the cowards among the crowd as a nice bonus.

“It is not going to be easy! You will face brutal training that will polish your skills to the maximum potential. I will personally mould you into Lugnica´s most fearsome warriors and most clever spies. This will come with pain and exhaustion. You will cry and bleed and collapse in fatigue, but it will be worth it in end, I promise you! This job is not for the weak or the foolish. Only the best of the best will prevail.”

She saw it in some of their faces that they were hooked, drunk on hope and desperation. Perfect time to seize her prey.

“Now I give you a choice. Will you take this one opportunity that some of you have been waiting their whole life for... or will you stay here and continue you life in the slums? All who want to come with me step forward now!”

Three dozen people came immediately up to her. It was time for the inspection.

“Thank you for participating. Now, do any of you know how to fight with a weapon?”

Half of them raised their hand. Very good.

“Have any of you experience with magic?”

Only one girl hesitantly held up her hand.

Another volley of questions followed.

“Do you have closely related family?”
“Do you have any long lasting injuries or terminal diseases?”
“Can you remain cool at the sight of blood?”
And lastly: “Are you really willing to undergo the most exhausting training you have ever experienced? Because in the next few weeks you are going to wish that you had never been born. It will be worth it, but it will also feel horrible. No weak or fragile people can withstand my education.”

Indirectly calling everybody who dropped out a coward was a good method to scare them into obedience.

All except two boys (who wouldn’t have made the cut either way) nodded their heads.

“If you have any remaining belongings then gather them now and inform your friends of your decision. Meet me in exactly one hour here and I will show you your new accommodations. Whoever arrives too late will be left behind.”

Tanya was not a sentimental person. Quite the opposite in fact. But in this moment she felt that she simply had to honour her past and with that her former comrades and friends. Even if it was mostly an inside joke the idea was too funny to pass up. So she let a bone-chilling smile creep onto her face and spoke in her sweetest voice:

“I welcome you to the pits of hell my 204^th battalion.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

One hour later she had organized three carriages to transport her new recruits. It would be pretty suspicious if they all marched in a big group through the streets. Maybe even somebody would think of it as a possible attack and try to stop them!

All of the volunteers had been punctual, but to make sure she counted heads again.

“30... 31... 32... That should be all of them. Wait... 33? That is one person more than last time.”

She called out loud: “The new person may come here please.”

Her perfectly calm illusionary visage betrayed none of the surprise she felt when the newcomer revealed herself to be a familiar face. It was the thief-girl from the alleyway that had stolen the insignia.

“Hello there young Miss. Would you please tell me why you are here? I did not see you among the volunteers at the announcement.”

The blonde raised her chin defiantly and exclaimed: “I just wanted to. There is nothing wrong with picking up a job that pays well.”

“While that is true would you mind telling me how old you are?”

It would be problematic if she accidentally employed a child in these lands. Someone could sue her for mistreatment or something along those lines. (Not that anyone in the empire had ever cared that she had not even reached double digits when she joined the military.)

“Old enough.” she pouted.

“That is not an answer.”

“Fifteen.”

“That is good. Below that age I would not have accepted you.”

She turned to the watching crowd.

“What are you all waiting for? Hop onto the carriages and let´s get out of here!”

While everyone scrambled for a seat she held her hand up in front of the blonde thief.

“You are going to sit with me on the front seat.”

“But...”

“No objections. I want to talk to you. Don´t worry. I won´t bite.” smiled the false Reinhard.

When Tanya was about to climb onto the driver seat of the carriage she ran into a small problem. Due to her illusion overlaying her like a costume she was actually a lot smaller than the “Reinhard-facade”. That meant that she would practically clip through her illusion if she moved too much. To circumvent the problem she cheated and used her flight spell when she was sure nobody was looking to get up the cart.

She gave the other two drivers a sign and the trip back to the Astrea estate began.

“So what´s your name?”

She couldn’t always call her ´thief-girl´ in her head after all.

“Felt.”

No last name? Probably a sensitive topic.

“So Felt... did the others tell you about the soul-crushing training you are in for if you accept the job?”

“Yep.”

“You think you can handle it?”

“Yeah. Besides... it´s not like I have anything better to do.”

Felt looked down at her hand with an expression of grief clearly displayed on her face.

“Do you have any immediate family or close friends that will miss your absence?”

Her expression darkened and her hands clasped each other so tightly that the knuckles turned white.

“No.” was her only response.

She knew that look in someone´s eyes. It spoke of personal loss and deep sorrow. Tanya had seen it on hundreds of young soldiers and civilians faces.

“Did it happen recently?” she asked softly.

The girl besides her could only nod. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but through sheer force of will she kept them at bay. Quite impressive in Tanya´s opinion. That girl knew how to handle herself.

It must have happened fairly recently; after the incident with the insignia probably. The Felt from a few days ago hadn’t had that same dead expression in her eyes and had seemed relatively lively. So she took a wild guess.

“Was it after you lost that insignia?”

Alarm flashed up on her face and she turned her head so fast that her hair swirled around her.

“How did you know?” she yelled accusingly.

“I didn’t. I guessed.”

“I don’t remember you being there.” The blond thief still sounded suspicious.

“You were paralyzed when I came so you probably cannot remember my face.“

Silence followed for a few minutes.

“I won´t pry, but you can tell me if you want. Maybe this way we will be able to bring the person who did it to justice.”

In truth Tanya had no interest in a personal revenge quest, but it would help her understand the girl better and maybe form some sort of emotional bond between them. Who knew how teenage girls functioned? She definitely didn’t.

“It... it was our client. She wanted the insignia and when... when I didn’t have it she...”

Felt´s eyes had become moist again.

“she killed old man Rom. She was so fast I couldn’t stop her and I barely escaped thanks to my Divine Protection. I was so weak... And now I have nothing. I don’t know what to do...”

The last part was barely audible.

Emotional support was not one of Tanya´s strengths so she had absolutely no clue how to react. Coming too close was a bad idea, because that would reveal her illusion so things like headpats or hugs were out of the question. (Not that she would have done that anyway.) But what consoling words could help in this situation? Maybe something personal?

“I lost many of my valued comrades on the battlefield. One moment they would stand beside me laughing and cheering and in the next they would lie dead on the ground. Life can be a heartless and cruel thing; I know that very well. Only a few days ago I said goodbye to all of my closest friends and left them in the knowledge that I would never see them again. We will never be able to laugh and drink together and we will never be able to say each other things we maybe should have said years ago.”

Visha´s beautiful face smiled in Tanya´s memory and she felt a tinge of sadness tuck on her heartstrings.

“But do you want to know how I handle all that pain? Still smile in this brutal, uncaring world? I don’t forget them. Their lives, their memories have meaning, because there are those who care! We are the ones that will not let them die, because we can still remember them. Through our care they become a part of us that stays with us ´till the end of our lives. All humans must die, but that does not mean that we will surrender to the inevitable. We fight! Like you. You have already started to build a new life for yourself. You show your friend that you will continue to struggle and fight for your place in the world, because that´s what humans do. He will always be with you, right by your side if you hold onto his memory and live. Look forward to all the wonderful ways you can show him that you are a person worthy of his respect. That even without him to physically support you, you are not weak. So that you can honour him by being the best ´you´ you can be.”

Well that escalated quickly. She hadn’t meant for her speech to devolve into sentimental platitudes, but the words had simply sounded right to her ears. For a short moment she had actually believed what she had said. How strange.

Felt looked at her with an unreadable expression before turning to the road again, obviously deep in thought. Tanya meanwhile was glad that the conversation was over. At least for now. Shortly thereafter their little caravan arrived at the gates of Reinhard´s estate. Phase 3 of her plan could begin.

She jumped of the carriage and motioned for an already present servant to take over the reins. Tanya then went around a corner and sprinted off to the newly prepared servant quarters while making a small detour to remain hidden. While running she let her illusion fade and concentrated instead on a communication spell that she linked to a spare earpiece which she had given to her knight.

“Do you copy Reinhard?”

“If by ´copy´ you mean understand Milady then I can hear you perfectly. Truly an impressive feat of magic you accomplished there, but that is to be expected from my Mistress.”

She ignored the compliment, because she never really knew if Reinhard meant all the nice things he said or if it was just flattery.

“Can you come to the servant quarters please? The plan we spoke of comes to an end. You won´t even have to say much if everything goes as envisioned.”

“Right away Milady.”

Tanya only hoped that he wouldn’t mess up and raise suspicion. It wouldn’t be good for her subordinates trust if they discovered that she had only impersonated Reinhard.

When the purposefully delayed recruits arrived at their destination they still looked mostly in awe at the apparent wealth of they were surrounded with. Not a single one of them had ever been allowed to get near something so expensive.

To draw their attention Reinhard (the real one this time) cleared his throat loudly.

“Ahem.”

The crowd´s eyes shifted to their presumed employer.

“This is the Astrea estate owned by my family. I am Reinhard van Astrea, your host. It is a pleasure to have you all here.”

His politeness! Sometimes it was irritating. But now was her turn.

“And I am Tanya von Degurechaff. I will overlook your training and will prepare you for your first task in three days. Please address me as Drill sergeant Degurechaff or simply Sergeant Degurechaff. We all will spend a lot of time together.” she smiled sweetly. Her gaze travelled over to Felt who looked at her with abject horror written on her face. It seemed like she still remembered her.

“As for the rules. You will be given a room. Take care of it. I will personally inspect them every week and I want to see them in exactly the condition you received them in. That means: clean, orderly and most importantly intact! If you damage anything out of sheer stupidity than the repair costs are going to be subtracted from your wage. Is that clear?”

A few murmured confirmations reached her ear. Not good enough.

“I said, IS THAT CLEAR? I want to hear a loud and resounding ´Yes Sergeant Degurechaff´!”

“YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!” was the answer.

This was going to be fun.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

The rest of the rules were simple to follow in her opinion. Obey her commands without question. Do no steal. Do not talk about the specifics of what they did here. Be punctual. And above all else show respect for each other. They were all equal in worth. They all had suffered and they all would need to see themselves as a team to truly be effective. Tanya would have to beat that into them at the earliest possible opportunity.

Then she assigned everyone to their rooms and gave them half an hour to settle in. Because there was an odd number of people she gave Felt a room for her alone which was probably for the best. The girl needed space after her fresh trauma.

“Now comes the first test. I am going to trust you with incredibly valuable information that would surely sell well to the right kinds of people. Will you be able to shut your mouths and keep a secret I wonder?”

She grabbed her chin in mock thought and hummed loudly.

“The royal selection that could potentially determine the next queen of Lugnica is coming up in three days.”

Through her many times giving speeches like this she had learned when to leave pauses for the crowd to murmur their surprise to each other. It was kind of funny how predictable most people were.

“We are going to be there. Reinhard and I will be present inside the hall while you will be outside searching for threats. Don´t worry. Most likely nothing is going to happen, but it never hurts to be cautious. Even though you will not be in my direct line of sight I still have my ways to keep an eye on y´all so don’t you dare to slack off during a mission.”

She could see it on their faces that they didn´t believe her. They would be in for a nasty surprise if they ignored her warning.

“The next two days are going to prepare you for this assignment. So no strength training, because I need you in peak condition when we do this.” It was regrettable, but she needed this to be fast not thorough.

One of the first things she wanted to test and develop was marksmanship. This world had not discovered firearms yet, so the next best things were crossbows or blowpipes. She had discovered quite a few of them in the Astrea armoury. (Of course these filthy-rich nobles had one!) Reinhard took over this part of the training for her because Tanya had as much skill with such a weapon as her recruits in this exercise.

Most of her little meat-shields were actually not abysmal with the crossbow which came to her as a small surprise. But maybe that was only a by-product of Reinhard´s Divine Protection of teaching, who knew? At least a few of them had real talent and could decently assist from range.

When the sun began to settle and the crowd had shot their fingers bloody from loading and reloading the heavy weapons she decided it was enough and sent them away. Basic stealth and a few knife techniques would come tomorrow which meant that the soon-to-be soldiers needed to be well rested. Tanya was also quite hungry and looked forward to her criminally soft bed. The very first night she had barely found any sleep, because it was so unusual for her to sleep on something that wasn’t stone hard or smelled like mud.

Reinhard interrupted her thoughts of warmth and comfort by producing a large package from seemingly nowhere. It was a long, thin object wrapped tightly in white linen. Temporarily she had completely forgotten what she had tasked him with after yesterday’s dinner.

“My Ladyship, I regret it deeply that I was not able to make a perfect sword for you myself due to the time limit you imposed on me, but I believe to have found a sufficient alternative. The best blacksmith in the capital made this blade two years ago and it has gone unused until now.”

Reinhard unwrapped the sword from the cloth and Tanya´s eyebrow rose in wonder.

It was a pitch-black cutlass that seemed to suck the surrounding light in on itself. The steel was so black in fact that it looked like piece of the night sky had been pressed into the form of a sword. Any form of colour could only be found on the handguard which glimmered in a dark golden tone.

“I assumed that due to your fondness for close quarters combat a slightly shorter and curved blade would be more effective. The steel has been magically enhanced by a shadow magician from Kararagi which should strengthen your own magic in this field should you one day learn it. Nonetheless is it able to channel large mana quantities of any element which you will undoubtedly find a use for. It is one handed because I had a feeling that you like to keep one hand free to surprise your enemy or handle a second shorter weapons. I hope it is to your liking Milady.”

It was not only a beautiful, but also an incredibly thoughtful gift. She indeed had very few uses for a long, double handed weapon, because her fighting style prioritized quick movements and unpredictable attacks. On top of that the weapon enabled her magic which elevated its usefulness considerably. This was the perfect sword and she couldn’t have asked for a better one.

“I am most grateful Reinhard. To say that you have merely exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. You have done me a great service that makes me once again proud to call you my knight.”

His face visibly lit up from the small smile that grazed his lips.

“Thank you for your praise Milady, but I have done just my duty.”

“You can always be honest with me Reinhard. There is no need for false modesty. If I tell you that you did good then you should accept that.”

“Of course, if you wish Milady.”

“I mean it. To recognize your strengths is an important part of self-improvement. Every successful employee knows how they can excel in their field. That´s just the nature of self-regulated human resource management.”

He stared at her wide eyed, entirely unable to comprehend her eldritch wisdom of business economics. Such matters were obviously not a strong suit of his, now that Tanya thought about it.

Interlude 1

Somewhere in the space between spaces where all possible realities collided into one a ripple spread through the void. An entity that was called “god” by many lesser races shivered in apparent discomfort and howled with a thousand voices an unthinkable cry of fury. What had happened? What could have upset a being of such cosmic proportions? The answer was obvious: The Atheist.

The one human soul stubborn enough to spit into the face of a supernatural creature that held its whole existence in its metaphysical hands. Now this soul was known as Tanya von Degurechaff, the White Silver and Devil of the Rhine. Had she committed another blasphemous act to sully the name of the entity that she spitefully called “Being X”? No. What enraged this “Being X” so had nothing to do with her presence in his domain, but her absence.

Their lost lamb had somehow managed to slip out of his grasp! She had defied them in a way they hadn´t even thought possible. How was she able to slip away? “Being X” did not know and that infuriated them further. Wherever she was, whatever dark corner of the multiverse she had used to mask her presence with, it did not matter. For they would find her! Fast! And then she would truly learn how hopeless her struggle against them was!

With great haste the unconceivable entity spread its attention through its many worlds in a frantic search for Tanya. At this day only one soul nearly destroyed the balance of the entire multiverse.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

The next morning began with Tanya challenging the three strongest members of her battalion to a duel. She was unarmed and the three who attacked her simultaneously had all knifes. Needless to say, she won without a scratch. This humiliating defeat served as good motivation for the rest of the bunch to train their blade techniques for the rest of the day.

In between the sparring sessions against her or Reinhard they would further train their skills with a crossbow. One day was not much, but Tanya could already notice the slightest improvements. Up next she showed them how to most effectively sneak up on people and how to slit their throats without causing unnecessary sound.

Some seemed not very comfortable with the prospect of ending a life in such a way which she mentally vowed to rectify as soon as possible. The rest of their stealth training would have to wait for a while. Like camouflage or how to conceal their footprints.

It was already evening when she deemed the exercises finished for the day. Now it was time for them to learn the arguably most important skill of any soldier: Communication.

“To know how to defend yourself is critical, but fighting is not what you are going to do the day after tomorrow. Instead you will be patrolling the surrounding streets and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. How do you tell me if anything strange happens when I am inside the royal palace? Well that´s a good question I definitely heard you all ask right now.”

She created a semi-transparent projection of the building in question with an illusion formula.

“This is layout of the palace from what I have gathered so far. Their security is clearly lacking, because nobody even noticed me when I flew nearly straight into the throne room. Do you see these windows here?”

She gestured to some stained glass windows near the ceiling of the great hall.

“They are in a position that allows easy surveillance without the risk of being seen. Eight of you will be watching the whole ceremony from either side of the room. These lucky eight will be Kurt, Hemila, Dorgo, Sebastian, Heva, Secca, Heinrich and Lutmil. You all possess the best skills with the crossbow from what I have seen. Only on my order will you interfere. Am I clear?”

“YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!”

Their exceptional marksmanship had not been the only reason why she chose them for the job. Heva and Secca were two demi-human sisters who both had incredible hearing abilities thanks to their big fluffy ears. These two would notice almost everything that was being said inside the throne room.

“But not only will you fill everything with holes that I tell you to attack, no... You will also have a far more important role to play. Look at this tower over here.”

Her illusionary map zoomed out and showed the nearby blocks surrounding the palace. A few streets away from it a comparatively small tower stuck out from the cityscape.

“The owner of this delightful little estate is allegedly too old to climb the stairs of his precious tower anymore so we will have it all for us. Two of you, Anselm and Kasim, will stand guard at its top from where you have a direct line of sight to the four people on the west side of the palace roof who are now called Alpha Squad.”

While she described this six bright, red dots appeared in the hologram to show their positions.

“Then with small mirrors that I will provide you are going to blink different messages across the distance. Like so...”

Tanya pulled out a hand-sized mirror and reflected the sunlight at a few faces who yelped in shock at being blinded so suddenly.

“Should this not work for whatever reason then you are going to use flags in different colours that I will explain soon. Anselm you will have the task to signal to Alpha Squad while Kasim watches the ground below the tower and the rooftops around you. Together you are the Beta Squad.”

Some murmurs erupted in the crowd.

“Good to see you all have questions, but everything will come in time. Now be patient!”

At the end her voice gained a freezing quality that could have cut glass. Silence reigned once again.

“So after Beta Squad transmits a message via the mirrors or the flags to Alpha Squad what do they do? You will put one of these cards into the left corner of the second window on the west side. Don´t worry I will see it.”

She produced different coloured pieces of paper from another pocket.

“Green signifies that everything is peaceful and quiet outside. Yellow means that something suspicious is going on, but I don’t have to actively look out for it. Red indicates that danger is imminent and I should stay alert.”

A hand rose out from the crowd. To no one´s surprise it was Felt´s.

“Yes?”

“How will Beta Squad know if there is something to report?”

“Excellent question. Like I said Kasim is going to watch the ground and the rooftops in his vicinity. That is where the rest of you come in. Felt and Gana are light and fast enough to traverse above the street level. They will observe the city folk from on top of the houses in this area.”

A circle appeared inside the projection and marked the region around the castle.

“Stay on the move and avoid being seen. At least Felt has already good experience in this field. The others will patrol as part of the crowd down below. Blend in and just look normal. People will treat you like you are nothing. They will ignore you. But exactly that is your greatest strength! Use this invisibility to your advantage and nobody will ever notice you! You don’t need fancy magic to disappear, because you already do.”

That got a few of them to look thoughtful all of a sudden. They finally realized the potential that came from their social class.

“Above all else, stay in two-man teams! Don´t lose sight of your partner, for it could spell your doom. A separated agent is easy prey for exactly the kind of people we are looking for. Do you understand?”

“YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!”

“Wonderful. When you see a lot of people with weapons or long hoods that obscure their faces you go to the tower and signal Kasim. If you hear ominous noises or see strange magic being used you go to the tower and signal Kasim. In case your partner suddenly disappears and you can´t find him after you searched for him you go to the tower and signal Kasim. Should you overhear anyone talking about an attack or other nefarious plans, you do what?”

“WE GO TO THE TOWER AND SIGNAL KASIM!”

“Exactly. I trust you enough that you can assess the danger level for yourself without me needing to hold your hand. The units on the ground are all called Gamma Squad. Now the final piece. My trump card. My ace in the hole. Teli, Gerol, Winfred, Reimus, Paul, Kelo, Tarinna and Ussel. Your special potential has been noted by me so you are going to be part of the Delta Squad. You will receive the special, incredible, unfathomable honour to spend your time for the duration of the mission... in the sewers.”

Her grin was too frightening for anyone to complain about the shitty job.

“It may sound bad, but trust me it is important. Today, while you all were having a nice relaxing training session, I embarked on a journey into the bowels of this city. And let me tell you, it was not pretty. But what I found out was of tremendous worth.”

Tanya simply loved to keep her audience on tenterhooks when briefing them for the first time. It was a touch unprofessional, but she rarely got to have fun in her job.

“Some stupid architect decided it was a good idea for the sewers to run directly beneath the royal palace. All that prevents someone from sneaking their way in that way are a few metal gates that I destroyed easily. I have drawn you a map that will lead you exactly beneath where I calculated the throne room to be. Should anything happen there that I and Reinhard need to escape from then I am going to blow a hole through the floor and together we make an escape. Has everybody understood the general gist of things before I go into more detail?”

“YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!”

The briefing continued for a few hours before everybody knew exactly what to do. Some people would wonder if such intricate safety measures were really necessary, but Tanya knew better. It was almost guaranteed that an attack would happen when all leading figures of the country were present in one room. And she would be damned if she did not prepare.

All she hoped for was that the distraction caused by the rookies would last long enough for her and Reinhard to escape.

(I was bored in class today so I wrote a poem. It´s not necessarily canon to this story.)

Bonus: Daughter of Ash and Steel

A third chance, a third life,

in unfamiliar lands,

a world of misfortune and strife,

in our heroine´s hands.

The silver goddess arose,

from mud and blood and dust,

and she was who people chose,

to lead them stongly and just.

No enemy could stand against her,

and no army could hope to prevail,

the corrupt would shrivel and wither,

and villains got culled without fail.

No mercy was given to those,

that did not submit to her rule,

unherard went their pleas and their woes,

they called her bloodthirtsy and cruel.

But for her faithful believers,

all dreams of change were fulfilled,

she freed them from the deceivers,

and secured the peace she had built.

To all that followed her loyal,

through bloodshed and steady reform,

her soul was undoubtedly royal,

when she took Lugnica´s hearts by storm.

All hail the Argent Queen,

who´s reign was greater then was ever seen.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

The last day before the royal selection was uneventful. Training continued as normal for half the day and then they spoke about the mission again and played through multiple disaster scenarios. All squads knew their positions or patrol routes for the next day intricately before Tanya sent them to bed.

As the last part of her preparations she picked up each of the eight members of Alpha Squad and flew them onto the roof of the royal palace while they were hidden by the darkness of the night. A feat that would be nearly impossible in broad daylight, because Tanya was far slower and more visible with something as heavy as a person strapped to her back.

All of them were blindfolded to prevent panic attacks from the experience of soaring through the sky for the first time. When they were at their proper positions and had established who was on night duty she went back home to get a few more hours of sleep in. She knew from experience that it paid well to be well rested.

Four hours later and it was time. The day had come. Her first true test in this crazy new world. Tanya wanted nothing less than worry about becoming queen of a medieval country, but now she to anyways. Her burning desire to live was leaving her with no choice in this regard. She had to win the royal selection and stomp out her competition before they could do the same thing to her.

The maids had already prepared her outfit for the day. Her normal combat uniform would not do so she had designed her new attire after her old parade uniform. Reinhard had wanted a dress for her at first, but she vehemently refused. She would not let herself be degraded by a monster of tulle and silk!

Knee-high, black leather boots that gleamed from excessive polish and green, reinforced trousers seemed not very ladylike in Reinhard´s opinion, but she didn’t care. The multiple visible and hidden pockets allowed her to stow away all the necessities of daily life. A combat knife, painkillers, spare bullets, a compass and a lighter.

Up next was her silver belt that shone brightly in the morning sun. Her holster with the emergency pistol was strapped to her right side and her new cutlass found its home on her left. She reflexively checked all the pockets of her jacket and examined her shirt underneath to verify if she had buttoned it up correctly.

Lastly came her cape that would conceal her weapons in public and add a dramatic flair to her entrance. It had no tactical use, but for some reason she was fond of it already. Her old hat had been slightly modified to display the dragon´s symbol instead of the imperial one. It had also finally been fixed so that it would no longer slide down over her eyes when she moved too much. A change she was very much thankful for. Such were the wonders of a half-way functioning economy that had enough resources to spare for a single hat. In comparison the empire had been a service wasteland thanks to the war-torn hellhole it had become.

Freshly donned in her new gala attire she made her way to the dining room to greet Reinhard. Her knight was already waiting in his normal royal knight uniform. What had she even expected? At least it was nice how diligently he was waiting for her. He already was an invaluable subordinate.

As soon as they left the main building Tanya disguised herself with the illusion of a big, old man she had seen on the street the day before. They then proceeded to board a fine, but relatively unassuming looking carriage and left the estate through a back exit away from the main roads.

Thanks to this decision they made it through the morning traffic fairly quickly and arrived at the royal palace roughly two hours early. Not only would this over-punctuality seen as a sign of respect by the sage council, but it also would prevent the other candidates from surprising them.

Only after making sure that they were alone in the corridor leading to the throne room did Tanya drop her illusionary facade. The reason was that she needed to identify herself and to show her weapons to the guard at the door. Even if it was incomplete security it was better than none at all in Tanya´s opinion.

The limitations of this system were soon made obvious when the guard could not even identify her pistol as a weapon and accepted her excuse that the cutlass at her side “was just for show and was a symbol of friendship between her and her knight”. Tanya did not like to resort to emotional manipulation with her girlish voice and big, blue eyes, but if it worked who was she to ignore the easy chance to smuggle lethal weapons into the meeting?

If she had designed the security then she would have forced every guest to list all of their accessories and their purpose beforehand. This way nobody could abuse the system like she just did. But alas, most people were trusting idiots.

Inside the empty throne room she decided test her communication with Alpha Squad. To do this she just created an illusionary picture herself outside the window where she presumed her men were hiding.

Projections without direct line of sight were usually incredibly difficult and their application got only progressively harder the further away the illusion was being casted. But Tanya could handle it. She had not been called the eleventh goddess without reason after all.

“Alpha Squad do you copy? If yes then display green in the discussed place.”

She looked up at the second window on the west side and lo and behold the left corner turned green.

“Well done Alpha Squad. Now remember stay calm and watch the position of the sun carefully. You don’t want to cast your shadows from outside on the glass.”

The tiny speck of colour changed to red to show that her message had been received.

“The hunt is on my lovely, little trainees. Stay vigilant. Silver One out.”

She cut the connection to her projection and began to hide herself in a corner of the room that allowed her to see most of the room and the podium on the front at once. Her optic camouflage was so good that even Reinhard had trouble finding her when he came back from greeting his colleagues as ordered. He had to look as normal as possible in the eyes of his fellow knights to not spoil the surprise after all.

“I am here Reinhard.”

“Ah, simply incredible Milady. Your skills of stealth and tactics have surely led to many of your victories on the battlefield I presume?”

“Yes they have. But that is not what I wanted to discuss with you. Do you still remember your instructions my knight?”

“Of course Milady. I will not even hint at the possibility that I know you or that I am involved in the royal selection until you show yourself to the public.”

“Very good. Now please go back to your knightly duties, whatever they may be.“

“At once Milady.”

He bowed and left the empty throne room again.

Tanya was bored out of her mind when half an hour later the first guest started to trickle in. She observed them closely and made pictures of their faces with her computation orb. All of them were nobles or at least very rich which came to no surprise. They stayed at the right side of the room. The royal guards on the other hand occupied the left side.

Finally, an hour later and everybody seemed to have arrived. With the exception of the royal candidates of course. Another reason why Tanya had wanted to be early and hide herself was because she wanted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of her rivals first and use this analysis to present herself in a favourable light to the public. If she appeared last then she held information sovereignty and could accurately explain why all other candidates were inferior to her.

After what felt like an eternity of tense waiting the massive doors swung open to present the four most important persons (excluding Tanya) of the whole event. With this act, the royal selection for the throne of Lugnica had officially begun.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

One of them was wearing a stylized military dress and carried herself with the dignity of a commanding officer. This was probably Crusch Karsten who was known for her military prowess and many victories on the field. Not that she could hold a candle to Tanya´s career of course.

At the side and as far from the other candidates as possible stood the silver-haired girl who Tanya had already met in the alleyway. Her distant behaviour was odd, but she seemed very timid in shy in general so maybe she had a sociophobia? If so then she would make for a terrible ruler.

The last two girls were harder to identify. One of them had to be Priscilla and the other was Anastasia. Just who was who was pretty difficult to say. If Tanya had to guess then the girl in the red dress was Priscilla purely from how pompous and expensive it looked.

She made sure to commit all their faces and body proportions to memory in order to accurately create illusions of them later. Impersonating her competitors could come in handy.

After a small commotion involving the ladies respective knights the council of wise men finally entered and took their seats on the podium.

“Now that all five dragon maidens are present the royal selection can commence.”

“Excuse me, but I believe somebody is missing? I can only count four here.” exclaimed Anastasia.

“The fifth candidate has asked not to be revealed just yet. Do not worry, she is apparently watching.”

That caused some murmurs in the crowd and many were turning around as if they would suddenly spot the mysterious woman who hid herself in plain view.

Getting the attention of the spectators back, one elder (that Tanya identified as Lord Miklotov from her reports) spoke again:
“Do you all know why you are here?”

“Yes, Lord Miklotov.” said Crusch and Tanya mentally patted herself on the back for guessing correctly.

“To participate in a drinking party that will strengthen our bonds and deepen our understanding of each other.”

“No, that is not correct.”

Of course not! Was Crush blind? There were no tables in sight that could be used for such an occasion. Also, why would the nobles be there if that was the case? Would they all just stand aside and watch them drink?

The elders continued to prattle on and on about different customs until they recited the exact text of the prophecy that had started this whole ridiculous royal selection business in the first place. Tanya had to suppress an internal rant about the uselessness of prophecies; especially if politics were in involved.

“From the five capable of becoming the nation´s new leader, choose one to enter into a covenant with the dragon.” he said.

Wait. Why hadn’t Reinhard told her about this? That was crucial information! She did not want to be pressured into another relationship with a pseudo-deity. One was already enough, thank you very much.

The process through which the future queen would be chosen was explained shortly thereafter. Apparently in two years time the people of Lugnica would vote on who they wanted to ascend the throne. Until then each camp had to impress the populace with victories or reforms that they managed to achieve.

It was a flawed, but principally good system. At least it was democratic and required the candidates to actually do something for the commoners instead of purely appeasing the nobles. Two years were also a good time to collect experience as the head of a command structure.

Unimportant chatter with little actual information slowed down the ceremony again and Tanya began to grow stiff from standing motionless for so long. It was like at a parade in the military academy... Ah, the memories.

Anastasia, true to her impression as a highly intelligent woman brought up the indeed pressing argument that their time was limited and they should get this over with. To do this she proposed that everybody gave a speech on why they believed to be worthy of the position. A reasonable idea that quickly found approval from everybody involved.

Crusch´s goal of bringing independence from the dragon to Lugnica seemed admirable if not a bit idealistic. Tanya agreed that humans had to work for themselves lest they become weak and useless, but to sever the connection to a being that could literally prevent famines and wide-spread plagues seemed stupid.

Sometimes compromises had to be made for the greater good or else thousands would die unnecessary deaths. And dead workers were the worst kind of worker. They provided no goods or services and were unable to pay taxes. Where would all the money come from if many more citizens were either dead or conscripted to the army?

It had been a painful lesson when she had to beat it into the ignorant politicians in the empire that even though the war had been won, concessions had to be made to the defeated countries to keep the peace. This dragon was providing Lugnica with enough power to make it the mightiest country on the continent and demanded basically nothing in return. That was a deal that could not be as easily squandered as Crusch wanted. Her plans were illogical.

Anastasia Hoshin was up next and she defied Tanya´s every expectation by being so blunt in nearly physically hurt. “I am really greedy” was not a good enough motivation to admit out loud and most of the nobles in the crowd seemed to agree.

While she admired the girl´s focused mindset and pragmatic outlook on life it was short sighted. Anastasia even admitted that she didn’t know if Lugnica would be enough to satisfy her greed. Would she be willing to wage a war for global domination? Tanya had experienced and memorized the horrors that came from a total, all-encompassing war and she would not sit back and watch this maniac create another one.

Such an outcome had to be avoided at all costs, even if that meant that she had to personally eliminate the girl. A damn shame, because otherwise she could very much see the appeal of her candidacy.

Anastasia´s skills as a merchant and businesswoman were undeniable and she properly understood the intricacies of a flourishing economy. Under her rule Lugnica would prosper. For a short while. Before she drowned the country in war debts.

Following her concerning declaration came Priscilla Barrielle´s turn. Her speech was not so much a logical explanation of her goals as queen and more so a half bored, half arrogant rant about how she was the only option and would undoubtedly win against whatever the other candidates did. How such an egotistical human being could survive through anything other than pure wealth was beyond her.

It made Tanya indescribably angry to see how this girl got everything handed to her despite her awful personality while she had struggle and fight for every scrap of luxury. Why had she been forced to constantly make use of all her wits and risk her health every day just to survive when Priscilla got gifted such a nice life for nothing in return? It was not fair!

Then her knight stepped in and explained that her claims were not simple boasting, but instead the truth. Apparently Priscilla had been born with abnormally high luck that made anything happen she wished for. As examples he named the numerous provinces under her rule that had all prospered from it.

Tanya detested those that achieved their standing in society through luck or family connections. Those individuals were unfit to rule or manage anything, because they lacked determination, experience and cleverness. What would happen if Priscilla´s luck ran out? The country would undoubtedly fall into ruin, because this woman had no idea how solve a problem through anything other than luck! No, Priscilla was not a good option for the throne.

The last one to speak was the silver-haired girl who introduced herself as Emilia. Just Emilia. No family name was either a sign of tremendous secrecy or of her low birth. Her vision of a united and egalitarian Lugnica where the same rights applied to everybody regardless of blood, race or gender sounded very appealing, but was sadly cut short by numerous interruptions from the crowd.

Many nobles seemed upset with her presence or wanted to outright deny her the right to speak, because she was a “filthy half-devil”, whatever that meant. Priscilla reacted especially unprofessional by describing her birth as a crime. Why would they do that?

Then somebody likened her to a “witch” and Tanya understood. She remembered heaving read about a “Witch of Envy” who allegedly destroyed half the world some four hundred years ago. Initially she had ignored the story as an obvious fairy tale, but many historical events could be traced back to this incident which lent it credence. The appearance of this mythical being had been described as a silver-haired half-elf with purple eyes which matched Emilia’s description perfectly. Well, Tanya was unsure about the half-elf part, but she had also no clue what differentiated an elf from a human.

Nonetheless was this discrimination stupid. If this ludicrous prophecy was even worth half a Mark then Emilia was as worthy of the throne as the other candidates. The dragon had chosen them specifically because he saw potential in them and Emilia obviously had done something to earn his approval.

Just because she looked like someone from ages ago did not mean that she was that person! Honestly, how could people be this stupid? This innocent looking girl had so far displayed the most humility and generosity out of all the candidates. From what Tanya had seen she was the only one of the four that would not lead the country to ruin in a few years.

Even this commotion was settled when Emilia´s sponsor Margrave Roswaal stepped in and the conversation shifted from “Get this witch out of here!” to “Where is the fifth candidate?”.

First impressions were always the most important in a job interview and this was nothing less. Now was her time to shine.

Tanya took a deep breath and deactivated her illusion.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Wilhelm was not often surprised anymore. His age and experience had dulled all the excitement or interest a younger, less damaged person would feel. But in this moment when the final royal candidate revealed herself he felt awe. His ladyship was an impressive human being, but if he was perfectly honest with himself then she could not compare to the girl that seemed to materialize out of thin air.

Her hair shone so brightly in the sunlight which fell through the windows that is looked like a golden halo was surrounding her head. Together with her fair skin and natural beauty she looked like an angel. The left corner of her mouth was raised in a gentle, but knowing smirk that nearly screamed superiority and her eyes blazed with azure energy. These eyes... they had seen so much death. More than even himself if is intuition was correct. And he was always right with such things.

How could such a young woman be so familiar with destruction? Had she fought in a war? The shining silver medal above her heart seemed to indicate so. More importantly, why had she not been broken by it? The expression in her cold, blue eyes was clear and intelligent, not at all dulled by horror and misery. She probably was the kind of human being who could stand knee-deep in blood and find a way to enjoy herself while doing so. Utterly unfazed by violence and destruction, the thrill of the fight was the only thing that counted for them.

This girl radiated power. Despite her petite built that made her look like a child she was clouded in energies that Wilhelm had never seen before. Arcane knowledge was not his forte, but he had experienced his fair share of magic on the battlefield. Whatever this girl was using was completely unknown to him and that was disconcerting.

Absolute silence filled the previous noisy room as she strolled down the middle corridor to the podium. The only sound was the repeated clacking of her black leather boots on the marble floor that echoed unnaturally loud through the tense air. She seemed entirely relaxed even though all eyes were intensely staring at her. It reminded Wilhelm of those Rigers from Kararagi which gave off an inert feeling of danger even though they appeared utterly non-threatening.

She looked as calm as if she were surrounded by harmless kittens and not scheming nobles and distrusting rivals. Not because she expected peace, Wilhelm was sure of that, but because she knew she would win in any fight that could occur. This complete nonchalance gave him a tiny chill.

Instead of taking the stairs up to the podium she flew them up in a casual display of power that caused some gasps from the audience. Of the present individuals with magic capabilities only one would be able to emulate that and that was none other than the Margrave himself, the most powerful magician in the country. Who was she? Why had she been hiding her identity? Was she a foreign spy?

That question was answered when she held her insignia high up in the air and it flashed brightly with crimson light. The proof of her worthiness was undeniable.

“Greetings honourable elders, nobles and royal knights of this great kingdom. I am Tanya von Degurechaff, known simply as the Argent or the White Silver in my home and lauded as the greatest combat mage of my generation. I meant no disrespect with my late arrival, but it felt prudent to observe my so called ´opposition´ before revealing myself for the first time to the public. Please think nothing of this old habit of mine.”

He had never heard of anybody with these titles. He was sure of it.

“My fellow candidates for the throne had the kindness to share their goals for when they theoretically ascend it. I have something different to present: My plans that I will make reality regardless if I will become queen or not.”

Even more interesting. The pure conviction that was practically oozing out of Lady Degurechaff´s eyes was breathtaking. For a short moment Wilhelm was reminded of his wife. His wonderful, lovely  Theresia would look exactly like that when she held speeches. Which was not often, but always incredible. Just like everything she did.

“Strong borders, justice for all, a prospering economy... these are not exclusive from each other. Only if every citizen has the chance to reach their maximum potential, to go above and beyond and give their all for our state... then will the country be able to flourish. Only if our cities and roads are secure can trade freely flow and bring wealth to all corners of the land. Only if the treasuries are full can the state hire soldiers and pay for proper arms to protect the peace. They all are dependent of each other. Not separate.”

While she was saying all that she created many large, moving pictures in the air. Farmers were seen working the fields, merchants were depicted trading goods and citizens in the capital were shown going about their lives. All of it looked unbelievably real and lively, as if it were real people that had been compressed into flat images. It was a mesmerizing display the likes of which Wilhelm had also never seen before. Lady Degurechaff was full of surprises it seemed.

“What is the reason you are all here? Because you want a leader that can bring hope to the people and inspire bravery in your warriors! Someone who is able to fill your coffers and secure your rule for generations to come! Who will be able to offer all of that? I mean no offense when I say this, but are they good enough?”

She gestured to the four girls behind her.

“Are Greed, Luck, Innocence and Boldness really all you deserve?
When will Anastasia´s greed be sated? Not even she knows.
How many lives will be lost because of Crusch´s recklessness? Nobody can say.
Will Emilia be able to reign over a country that despises and rejects her wholeheartedly? It remains to be seen.
What happens when Priscilla´s luck runs out? That at least is for certain: doom.”

Lady Degurechaff chuckled mirthlessly at her own joke while uneasiness spread in the crowd around Wilhelm. He desperately wanted to disagree, but couldn’t. He would give his life for Lady Crusch, but that did not mean he could not see the flaws in her plans.

It was only by her grace that he had even been allowed to attend this ceremony since he was no longer a knight or possessed any titles. He owed her so much and would follow her wherever she demanded, but in this short, treacherous moment he wished that he could make her rethink her vision for Lugnica.

“This is a historical event that only a very select few individuals can witness. So you deserve absolute honesty. I will tell you my biggest secret; the one thing that makes me different from all of you.”

What she said next changed everything. Nothing could have prepared them all for the following words.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Crusch was irritated that this mysterious fifth candidate would not show herself. Had she no spine? Cowards were not fit to be queen and whoever this woman was her first impression had already been terrible. To not even show her face was a sign of huge disrespect towards the gathered nobles and the other candidates as well. Even Emilia had faced the hateful glares and contemptuous comments of the audience with as much courage as she could muster which earned her Crusch´s respect.

But when she saw how the girl captured the attention of the whole room instantly without saying a word, she understood her reasoning. It was clever to stay in the shadows and observe until the perfect moment, even if it was dishonourable.

The girl looked no older than fifteen years, but her posture spoke of determinations and dignity that came from experience. Her presumption was proven correct when the mystery girl floated up the stairs which was a not very subtle way to demonstrate her enormous magical potential and matching skill. Crusch was extremely sure that the girl had added the dramatic billowing of her cape intentionally to make her entrance even grander than it actually was. Nonetheless was it an eye-catching performance.

So eye-catching in fact that Crusch had completely overlooked the sword at her side. Why had she brought a weapon? Was that not prohibited? Had she come with violent intentions? Had she not already embarrassed herself in front of the council by mistaking this event for a drinking party then she would have openly questioned the girl about her armament.

“Tanya von Degurechaff” was apparently her real name, but she had never heard of a noble house by the name of “Degurechaff”. Her monikers of “Argent” and “White Silver” were equally unknown to her. How strange...

Tanya proceeded to twist each candidate’s words until she had made a mockery out of them all. Why did she think she was better than them? What could she have possibly done to qualify her as queen what they lacked?

When she told the audience that she would share her biggest secret the winds of untruth were beginning to blow around her. This would have deeply upset Crusch had she not been so shocked by what came next.

“I do not hail from this world, but from another one. I am as you would describe it ´from beyond the great waterfall´.”

Chaos broke out in the audience. Many were unwilling to believe such outrageous claims, but to Crusch her statement was undeniable. The winds of truth now surrounded Tanya; so either she was delusional or she spoke the truth. Crusch knew not which of these options was more terrifying.

With one swipe of her hand an unnatural silence fell over the room as if a thick blanket was suppressing all sound except from Tanya. What was that magic? A really advanced form of shadow magic perhaps?

“My world was far harsher than yours. It was torn apart by a war so great that it made the mountains tremble! A battlefield so large that it encompassed the whole world! I have seen stretches of land burned and bombed from one horizon to the next. I myself have slain thousands and have laid waste to cities. You cannot even begin to imagine the uncountable fields full of nameless gravestones that I walked upon. The charred husks of once great buildings and the ruins of monuments that were build to last an eternity that I flew over. It was merciless. Millions of men, women and children were ripped to shreds and reduced to dust in our blind efforts to eradicate each other. No home was safe and no temple was holy enough for us to spare it. It was a killing that knew no ends. Our own state was transformed into a soulless machine with no other purpose than to produce as much fresh meat as possible to throw against the tide of our enemies. A slaughter that filled our whole world with death and misery.”

Like before she created illusions in the air. But instead of happy pictures full of sunshine and laughter these showed rainy skies and burning cities. One of these depicted Tanya herself walking through a street filled with burned corpses that looked like they were frozen in time; trying to escape the horrible inferno that had ravaged their city. Another moving picture showed the remains of a gigantic forest, but every tree had been uprooted and every green piece of land had been bombed away. Thousands upon thousands of dead bodies lay strewn about like the toys of a giant. The sheer scale was breathtaking and gut-wrenching at the same time. Many more scenes were shown, but most people in the audience were too horrified to notice them all.

“I myself was nine years old when I joined the army, because of my large magical potential. I killed my first man at twelve when I was thrown alone into battle with ten veterans. I managed to take out seven of them and was awarded this medal for my efforts.”

She gently laid her hand over her heart.

To kill seven veterans on her first deployment. Alone! Had she not possessed her Divine Protection of windreading then Crusch would not have believed her. Against her will she felt her respect now rising for Tanya.

“With only sixteen years I was promoted to Colonel. I have the most confirmed and unconfirmed kills of any single soldier and I have been my homelands greatest asset in the war. In theory as well as in praxis have I had the single greatest impact on the course of the war. Had it not been for my self-developed combat doctrines, weapons and management systems than we would have surely lost the fight against a world that threatened to swallow us whole.”

At this point Tanya had talked the longest out of all the candidates, but nobody cared. Instead everybody hung at her every word, because this was unforgettable, mind-bending information.

“I have been hardened by the fires of struggle that you would not even be able to comprehend. I have mastered the art of the impossible and forced an entire world to its knees. I know how it is to care for a country at the brink of chaos. How it is to keep a system intact that should have logically collapsed long ago. I can defeat threats that seem insurmountable and can give hope to those that would otherwise despair.”

Crusch felt suddenly very small. Not only was this not the only world, but her conflicts seemed laughably small in comparison. Her experience that she had collected appeared so pitiful as if she was just a child playing war. With every word that Tanya spoke she could see the truthful winds that swirled around her and that became more frightening by the second.

“I, Tanya von Degurechaff stand here undefeated and unbroken. A human that has not and will never cave in to the whims of fate. Who will overcome every difficulty and will not rest until her dreams are fulfilled. With you by my side I can bring about a future that is fair and stable, but I will achieve that with or without becoming queen. It matters not, for the people of this country deserve peace and prosperity and I shall provide. Whatever it costs.”

The sound-smothering spell had apparently been lifted, because the applause that followed was nearly deafening. An understandable reaction. Even Crusch herself had been gripped by the unwavering determination in her voice. Tanya von Degurechaff would be a worthy adversary in the fight for the throne.

Suddenly Tanya turned around and gave her a wide smile that probably was intended to give her a friendly appearance. To Crusch it looked predatory instead.

“Lady Karsten? You thought at first the purpose of this event was to form connections between the candidates and I would very much like to keep this great idea alive. I hereby want to issue an invitation to all willing candidates for the throne to visit me tomorrow afternoon at the Astrea estate. My knight Reinhard was generous enough to provide me with a hopefully fitting location for this meeting. There we shall be able to discuss our visions for the future in detail and complete privacy. Respect and mutual understanding are, as Lady Karsten undoubtedly said, highly important if we want this royal selection to go over civilly and decisively.”

Reinhard van Astrea was her knight? The swordsaint? It was not even fair at this point! And because Tanya had twisted her words again she would have to go to the damned meeting, because else she would look like a hypocrite. If there was one thing Crusch couldn´t stand then that was hypocrites.

“I am sure we all could gain something from this, no?”she said while directing her dangerous smile at Anastasia.

“We are not the same, but we can try to empathise with each other. If you will graciously give me a chance then I will too.”

Now she was speaking to Emilia. It looked like she already knew how to manipulate them all. Only Priscilla received barely any attention at all, but she would have probably ignored it anyway.

Tomorrow would be more busy than usual it seemed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

Anastasia had to respect Tanya´s strategy. To use the mystery around her person to make herself memorable in the eyes of the nobles was indeed an ingenious tactic. It practically guaranteed that everyone would pay full attention to her while she gave away minimal information.

The optical trick she used to create moving pictures in the air was also quite useful to add more emotion and drama to her speech. Could she do more with these illusions? Probably. Was that an ability of hers or did she perhaps us a special metia? If so then she wanted one.

Her every move seemed controlled and looked far too rehearsed for a girl her age. Had she been in the military? The uniform she wore suggested as much. She also carried a sabre with her. Was it just for show or was she that paranoid? How intriguing...

All in all, Tanya von Degurechaff was an anomaly. She could feel it. Her “merchant senses” as Ricardo had called them tingled in excitement. This theory proved correct when she announced that she had in fact not been born in Lugnica, but instead beyond the great waterfall. Apparently her homeland had been ravaged by war, but that only meant it would be easy to plunder. Even these ruins must still hide a few things that could be worth selling. Perhaps the blond girl had even brought some with her?

Their land had looked different to Lugnica. Very different. She had seen no demi-humans in Tanya´s memories. And no ground dragons. And no swords, now that she thought about it. How did they fight without swords? Only with magic perchance? Like the one Tanya had used so liberally?

Anastasia idly wondered if she could learn that kind of magic. It seemed really useful. Above all else, could others from Tanya´s land come here too? If yes, then she could hire them to teach some of her men. How much money she could make with all the different things from this new, untapped country! It was an ocean of opportunity. Maybe she could get some more secrets out of Tanya tomorrow at her little tea party. Before she could plan anything though she was unfortunately reminded that this meeting was not over yet.

“Reinhard van Astrea, is it true that you have become Lady Degurechaff´s personal knight and support her claim for the throne?” asked one of the elders.

“It is indeed true Lord Helikas.”

Whispers went through the crowd. To have the backing of the swordsaint was invaluable. All of Tanya´s enemies were basically doomed to failure in an open confrontation.

“And why have you chosen to lend your support to her?”

“I met her while she defended herself from some thugs and simultaneously helped a complete stranger out of the goodness of her heart. She showed me in that moment that she is not only strong, but also compassionate; even if she does not see herself that way. Later I learned that Tanya von Degurechaff is really a woman without compare. Her true skill in combat for example is currently unknown to me, but if she has indeed been holding back quite considerably in our sparring sessions then her destructive potential can only be rivalled by me.”

Holding back? Against the swordsaint? How powerful was that girl? This was ridiculous!

“She has managed to impress me in so many ways since we crossed paths that I could not imagine to follow a more amazing leader. I wholeheartedly believe that her brilliant mind paired with wisdom far beyond her age will not only be able to heal our country, but also make it greater than ever before.”

“Quite the glowing praise Sir Reinhard. We will have to wait and see if she truly deserves it though.” mocked another council member.

“I will just have to give my best to not let you down then.” smiled Tanya sweetly while her eyes flashed with blue light.

Anastasia would have happily paid twenty gold coins to know what went through her head in that moment. Perhaps tomorrow she would catch a glimpse of the mystery girl´s true nature behind all those masks. She could only speculate what Tanya´s price for that kind of information would be.

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Al felt like a ground-dragon carriage had just hit him full force when the blond girl told everybody that she did not come from this world. His outlook on life was basically changed from one moment to the next.

He was not alone!

Then the sober realization set in. If she was summoned from another world then most likely not from his. On his earth they didn’t have magic, he was pretty sure. Also, there had not been a world war going on...

Oh no! Had earth fallen into chaos? Had his homeland, that he barely remembered, been sucked into another great war? Wait! Maybe she was from the past... Travells through time and space were a bit funky. The uniform looked vaguely familiar. Was she from one of the two world wars? No, he reminded himself that that was impossible. Where she came from they did have magic after all.

Now he understood at least what the weird pocket at her side contained: a gun! The girl had guns! What were all these knights in heavy armour supposed to do against somebody with a gun? Could Priscilla´s luck save them from a bullet? He really hoped so.

Even if she did not come from his world, hers did look at least more similar to earth than Lugnica. Maybe they could talk about... Well... Damn it! He remembered absolutely nothing of interest that they could talk about. Had movies even been invented when the First World War came about?

More importantly, why would she even talk to him? Not to mention that his princess would probably be pretty pissed if he spoke to one of her rivals. Al would have to keep an eye on her and eventually warn Priscilla about guns. Hopefully she would listen to him when the time came.

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Priscilla meanwhile was very much entertained, even though she showed no outwards reaction to the events that played out before her. This Tanya-girl looked rather interesting. Not that she had even the slightest chance of succeeding should she herself try to stop her, but it would definitely be amusing to watch her struggle. Regardless of how many passionate speeches she held or how much powerful magic she commanded she could never win against Priscilla, simply because Tanya was not favoured by the gods like her.

Still if any of these fools had a theoretical chance to harm her magnificent self then it would be that girl. With the knowledge of fighting an actual war and the backing of the swordsaint she could prove a decent distraction. If she deemed her worthy enough to entertain her.

Ah, sometimes being perfect and all-powerful was really bothersome. Barely anything became compelling enough to spend time with and even the most exotic experiences became dull quickly. So a small trip to the swordsaints domain tomorrow didn´t sound too bad.

Priscilla smirked to herself:

“Come little Tanya... Alleviate my boredom for a short while.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

Emilia had not woken up to a good day today. She had of course known that many people would sneer at her or curse her while she presented herself, but it nonetheless hurt every time. To deal with the undeserved hatred had not become easier as the years passed by. So to stand on a stage with a huge audience that openly rejected her while she tried to tell them that she just wanted to help wounded her heart greatly.

Her goal to save her trapped friends in the Elior forest seemed as out of reach as ever. They all depended on her and she had let them down again. Puck always told her that she was amazing, but maybe she deserved all the hate. Maybe she really was not worthy of becoming queen. Maybe the people were right to despise her. She was so selfish after all. The feeling of worthlessness had begun to drag her down into the depths of despair when everybody’s attention suddenly shifted.

The mysterious fifth candidate had finally revealed herself and she looked adorable! If Emilia had to guess than she was maybe fourteen or thirteen, but she had never been good at guessing. A nasty, poisonous part of her mind of her mind wondered what she had ever been good at.

Maybe the girl was even younger, because she was just so unbelievably tiny and delicate looking! She reminded her of Beatrice that one time she had seen her. But Puck had said that Beatrice was actually four hundred years old so appearance alone was probably not the best way to judge a character. Just like with Emilia herself.

Her hair looked so fluffy and her big, expressive eyes shimmered so brightly that Emilia had to fight the urge to hug her on the spot. It would be unbecoming of her position as potential queen and the little girl wouldn´t want to hug someone like Emilia anyway.

The small ball of cuteness had introduced herself as “Tanya von Degurechaff” and proceeded to unexpectedly ridicule them all. Well, not really because she had sadly been right with what she said. How could she rule a country that hated her? At least Tanya did not insult her in the way that stupid Priscilla had done.

Then she somehow showed her memories to the crowd and Emilia´s blood ran cold. So much death and violence! It was sickening! Even only a few seconds of the terrible pictures were nearly too much for her, but she kept her eyes open regardless. She didn’t want to look weak after all. Nonetheless were all the corpses and burning buildings so horrifying that she couldn´t even listen to what Tanya said.

Emilia felt a wave of pity for the poor girl welling up in her. That war must have traumatized her! Maybe a hug wasn´t such a bad idea considering how much the unfortunate girl had suffered? No, they were supposed to be enemies! But on the other hand Tanya looked so fragile and helpless...

She was so deep in thought that she only vaguely registered how the little girl issued an invitation for a meeting tomorrow. Only when she directly addressed her with a smile (that felt like the best thing that happened to her today) did she understand what Tanya had offered.

Well, if she wanted to give her a chance then how could Emilia refuse? Other than Roswaal nobody had ever tried to “get to know her” and the prospect of a possible relationship that did not consist of one-sided disgust felt exciting.

Even Roswaal would probably agree that establishing positive relationships between her and the other candidates was a good idea, right? Yes, that´s what she was going to tell him. She only would go there, because it was a diplomatic mission of extreme importance!+

And also for little Tanya´s smile! It was just too cute!

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Reinhard felt a bit hurt that his lady had not told him about her origin beforehand, but he could also very much understand that decision. He had not exactly told her about what kind of monster he was either. If Tanya wanted him to see her only as his mistress and not as a foreign war veteran then who was he to judge? All he hoped was that she would not learn to resent him for the beast he truly was. It was a selfish wish and that fuelled his self-hatred only further.

He knew that she was barely sixteen years old. She had told him as much when she had asked for the age of the other candidates and that boggled his mind. To already slay thousands at such a young age (without being a swordsaint) was extremely impressive. Another proof that he had chosen his lady well. She was stronger, more intelligent and more experienced then all of the other candidates. He was sure of it. Even if she sometimes was a bit scary. (For example he was pretty sure that she had positioned her new recruits above the throne room without anybody noticing. Whatever her plan was he would not destroy it by needlessly drawing attention to it.)

Some of the servants had reported to him that she could neither read nor write on her first day in his family´s home. But at the second day she had already mastered both! How was that possible without a Divine Protection of scripture? Her intellect must certainly reach that of the great sage to accomplish such a feat.

Lugnica would be in good hands with her as queen. She was never careless and planned always five steps ahead. For example how she had just told him over her magical ear-piece to subtly bring up her combat prowess in his speech. That had been most unexpected, but he knew it furthered some obscure goal of hers. Tanya was simply a brilliant tactician and an incredible fighter at the same time. In contrast he was only as good as his sword. Less even, because most of the time he could not unsheathe it. He was just a tool to be used.

One thing that confused him though was the only lie that his Divine Protection had shown him during her entire speech. When she had talked about her “biggest secret” that had been untrue. What could possibly be an even bigger secret than that she was from beyond the great waterfall? It was not his place to question her, but it made him curious. If she wanted him to know then she would tell him.

His eyes darted over the crowd to search for his mistress who was already making countless acquaintances, but instead he found someone different. There in the corner stood his grandfather who looked at him with disdain. Reinhard knew why Wilhelm hated him and he could totally understand it. After all he was the reason that Theresia had died. It had been him who killed her even if he hadn´t meant to. His grandfather had every right to be angry at him, but that didn´t make it any less painful when he glared at his own grandson like that.

Some cracks could never be mended and he, Reinhard van Astrea was already broken beyond repair for as long as he could remember. He was and always would be just a monster.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

Tanya was quite content with the developments at the royal selection. Her entrance had hopefully been sufficiently grand to make a “large splash in the pond” as Neumann would put it. She had even gone as far as to subtly manipulate the light that fell through the windows so that her face would be illuminated more favourably.

Her careful observation earlier allowed her then to drop the first big bombshell of her speech. By insinuating that she actually did not care about becoming queen she made her claims sound more real and her opposition was painted in a worse light. It appeared like she was only interested in saving the country while the other candidates were indirectly stigmatized as power-hungry and egocentric for only furthering their plans if they could gain influence from it.

Tanya´s real reasons behind fixing the nation regardless if she became queen or not were in actuality far less benevolent than they seemed. It was simply her backup plan. A perfect employee could never be promoted or fired from their position, because they were irreplaceable. That was common knowledge. In case one of the other candidates should become queen then they would not be able to remove Tanya easily, because she was actually useful for them. Also the common folk would support her more easily if they saw her as trustworthy and compassionate.

To ride the waves of her first big announcement would sadly not be enough, so she tried to differentiate herself further from the other candidates by directly attacking them. This was an extremely dangerous strategy, because she did not actually want to antagonize them all at the same time. To fight a war on one front was difficult enough as the conflict between the empire and the republic had shown her. She didn´t need to earn the ire of all four of them at the same time.

Just in case that anyone of those present possessed a crazy “lie-detection-ability” she had tried to use only truths or half-truths during her speech. If half of what Reinhard had told her was true then there surely existed a Divine Protection for that kind of bullshit. This whole magic system here was ridiculous! She would have done that anyway, because telling your version of the truth was always better in the long run, but she had been extra careful today.

It had been another risky manoeuvre to show the crowd some of her memories, but it had been necessary to convince them that she had really the experience that she claimed. Most of her speech had been made up on the spot, but this had been the part that she had meticulously planned beforehand. To reveal such dangerous information was not something that she wanted to leave up to chance.

All scenes that contained actual fighting had been out of the question from the very start of her sorting process. Images that depicted advanced technology like guns or tanks had also been excluded from her speech. These were severe tactical advantages that she would not reveal so soon. If she played her cards right then she could use her superior war-machines to crush any medieval army in an open field. Basically a Dacia 2.0. (Even just the brought a smile to her face.)

The final nail in the coffin had been her offer of diplomatic discourse that strengthened her appearance of a noble, benevolent and most importantly peaceful individual. It served also as an indirect proposal of friendship that hopefully soothed the ire of the other candidates. Again, she was the one that profited the most, because she could learn more about her rivals in an environment that was completely under her control.

Everything had gone accordingly to her predictions until there had been a brief moment of panic when the signal from Alpha Squad outside the windows had turned yellow for a while, but then it had become green again which meant that it had probably been a false alarm. She would ask her battalion at the debriefing.

Now she was busy making small talk with any interested nobles, which were basically all of them. Nobody wanted to miss the chance to talk with “the girl from another world” which was not the worst nickname she had ever been called. Count after count and baron after baron introduced himself to her and she shook their hands and exchanged meaningless banter. It was just like at the damned ball in the Kaiserpalast Visha had forced her to attend.

One especially bold young man even tried to make a marriage proposal, but she stalled him for a few minutes and then excused herself as politely as she could. Seriously, it was way too early to even think about something like this! Not that she would have ever accepted such an offer anyway. Her sexuality combined with the bigoted views on lesbian relationships in both this world and the last condemned her to a life of solitude. That was at least what she believed.

Then after what felt like days, but was likely just a few hours Tanya decided to call it quits and said goodbye to the nobles she had wanted to impress. She was the last candidate to leave the throne room which was entirely intentional. It would be foolish to leave the battlefield undefended to the enemy after all. If the others decided to spread nasty rumours under her nose then she wanted to be there to immediately defuse them before they could become a problem in the long run. Whatever happened in the first few weeks of her candidacy would shape her public image.

Only after the last embers of light had sunken behind the horizon did she return to collect a rather bored Alpha Squad from the roof of the royal palace and flew them back home. The debriefing was equally as dull as she imagined spending hours in the sewers felt like to the unfortunate Delta Squad. No real suspicious activities had been sighted and no one had heard even rumours of a potential attack. Not really surprising, but generally it paid to be a little bit paranoid. Otherwise Tanya would have not survived the Great War.

Before her battalion could drift off to their well deserved sleep she had still an important announcement to make.

“So, for those of you who are unaware... I am not only your employer, but also a royal candidate for the throne of Lugnica.”

Shocked silence filled the air. Nobody except Alpha Squad who had listened in on the royal selection had known this.

“Meaning that in the next two years I will face many struggles and difficulties to win the position of queen and rightful ruler of this country. I will offer you once again the option to drop out and return to a relatively peaceful life in the slums. If you choose to remain in my services then you will undoubtedly experience real battles and maybe even come under attack from the other candidates. They will be ruthless! Like wolves they are going to try to rip me apart, but I am no sheep. I will bite back with all my strength and you my beloved battalion are going to be my teeth and claws! I ask you...
Do you want to continue serving the potential future queen of Lugnica, even if that means that the whole world may turn against us?”

This was the moment of truth. After she had hopefully robbed them of false illusions of glory with the uneventful mission today, she needed to know if their initial motivation had faltered. So it came as a pleasant surprise when all of them shouted:

“YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!”

Tanya could only smile at the realization that she had incredible luck with only ever picking the most bloodthirsty maniacs for her troops. These here would make fine meat-shields.

A night of pleasant dreams filled with Visha´s coffee went by and she made her preparations for the meeting of the candidates.

The trick of the whole affair was that she had purposefully not announced when they should arrive to confuse them and raise their insecurity. Nobody liked being late, but arriving to early was also undesirable. What choices would each candidate make? Even such simple decisions could say much about a character and information of any form was key in the war she was going to wage. Were they “early” or “late” persons? That knowledge could determine if they put duty or their own comfort first. Essentially indicating if they were most likely to serve at the frontlines or from a rear position in battle.

All that was left was to wait. With a smile on her lips and a book in her hand she sat down at a window overlooking the main entrance.

“Like mice to the cheese... Come... Give your best... You are going to need it...”

(I wrote a poem again, but it´s worse than the last)

Bonus: An age of Capitalism

She´s a hero of humanity,

With her wit, reason and skill,

Rejected salvation for sanity,

With only her iron hard will.

Not for all of earth´s riches,

Would she have given up,

To gods or demons or witches,

For she foresaw their trap.

Mankind must rule itself alone,

Without false deceivers,

And pretending parasites!

So she spoke from her throne,

To her ardent believers,

And her ever loyal knights.

Kill the faith of those weak-minded,

Destroy their toxic dependence!

Their religion has them blinded,

With hollow lies of ascendance!

A sane man trusts only his mind,

And proves his worth through labour,

He leaves archaic tales behind,

Gains the freedom he has paid for.

We´re strong without gods or kings,

Which keep us weak and small,

We are not their witless playthings,

Now we stand proud and tall!

Believe in yourself and the state,

With a drive that can never be sated,

Master and perfect your fate

Freeloaders will not be tolerated.

Money rules absolute and supreme,

In this paradise of logic and reason,

Success and fortune are no dream,

For all those that fall not to treason.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

The first guest to arrive was Emilia. Without a carriage and without a bodyguard as well! How careless was that girl? It looked like she wanted to get murdered! She came into the domain of her enemy completely unprotected and didn´t even try to impress with wealth or status! Only dumb luck could be the reason why she had not already been murdered in the streets if the general populace reacted to her visual appearance the same way the nobles did.

Or maybe the girl was more powerful than she looked? To survive in a world that instinctively hated her must have been no easy feat. Was she concealing an enormous magical aptitude perhaps? Or were her bodyguards so good that Tanya had not even noticed them? Instinctively she checked all corners of the room and enhanced her senses to spot even the faintest of movements in the air.
Nothing. She would have to keep an eye out for these invisible protectors if they even existed.

The silver-haired girl looked friendly enough when she went to personally greet her, but something seemed off about her. She would just keep staring and smiling at Tanya (especially her hair) when she thought she wasn´t looking. One time when Tanya stared back she blushed and averted her eyes to the floor. How strange.

Nonetheless Tanya gave her best to entertain her first guest with seemingly meaningless banter while she secretly hoped to gain valuable information from doing so.

“So Emilia where do you live? I am quite thankful that Reinhard has let me stay here or else I would have to rent a room in a hotel or something like that.”

Slowly, she wanted to ease the shy girl into a conversation. The low self-esteem was probably the result of years of discrimination now that she thought about it.

“I, uh, live with Roswaal. He lets me stay at his mansion. It is very, uh, nice from him.”

“What made you choose Roswaal of all people? From what I could see at the royal selection he appears to be a rather eccentric man.”

“He kind of is? But he was kind enough to help me out in a sticky situation and he is really powerful, I believe.”

“Oh, so I heard. The margrave is supposedly the strongest magician in the country. Is that true?”

“Yes? I mean he has control over all six elements which is extremely rare. I haven´t seen him use his powers much though.”

All six of them? Interesting. That also meant that he knew shadow magic. Perhaps he could teach her? That would mean she owed him a favour, but the result of possessing a whole new set of abilities that provided her with a crucial understanding of this world´s magic system could be worth it.

“Which affinity do you have?”

“Ah, ehm... Fire and water. And you?”

She had of course expected that question, but giving away this information was meaningless to her. Answering this enquiry would only confuse her enemies more, because they would think that she had used shadow magic when in reality her magic formulae functioned completely different.

“Yin. My element is shadow.”

“Wow! That´s also super rare. Say, uh, Tanya... when you came here from your homeland did you bring anybody with you?... Ah, you don´t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable or anything...”

Her voice trailed off at the end and the poor thing looked rather embarrassed.

“No, it´s quite alright. I came here alone.”

“Oh, you must be so lonely then. You surely miss your friends...”

“I never had many friends. When you are in the military you don´t have much time for such things. But yes I miss a few of my comrades.”

Was that pity in Emilia´s eyes? No... There was no way that her rival was taking pity on them! Did she really think Tanya´s situation was that hopeless without more allies by her side? Was she already writing her off as unthreatening? How dare she! Well, it was actually good if her opponent underestimated her.

After they had both exchanged a few more pleasantries, a servant approached Tanya to inform her that Lady Karsten had arrived together with Lady Hoshin. Both of them understood at least the importance of a proper entrance, because they reached their destination in splendid carriages drawn by clearly very expensive ground dragons. In contrast to Emilia they also brought their knights with them which should have been common sense.

Crusch was accompanied by a petite and overly friendly cat-girl who Tanya recognized as being called Felix. (This land was apparently strange enough that even a woman could have a man´s name.) Anastasia had Julius with her who matched the stereotypical “knight persona” far better than his demi-human counterpart. Reinhard was there to greet them and went off to entertain them while she was busy with the candidates.

“Well, then it is late enough already. We will have to begin without Lady Barielle.”

Just as she was uttering those words the door burst open and Priscilla entered the room with her chin held high and lips pressed together in a condescending smirk. Without saying anything she grabbed a chair and sat down as if was the most natural thing in the world. How had she even gotten into the mansion and found this room without Tanya being notified? Could she teleport?

“That was most fortune timing if I say so myself.” she commented drily.

Priscilla only scoffed.

“Of course it is a given that I arrive at the perfect moment. You would have been unable to begin with me otherwise.”

Tanya had to fight an internal battle of epic proportions to keep her polite face from crumbling away. This woman was already insufferable even though she just arrived!

“In that case I am very thankful that all of you have accepted my invitation and have graced me with your presence. I am new to these lands as you all know, so it is of huge benefit for me that you are willing to teach me more about our... situation. But enough about my selfish desires, do you have any questions you want to ask first?”

If she wanted them to open up then she needed them to feel like they were in control. Naturally they were not. All who stepped into the same room as the Argent left only because they could be useful for her in the future. Had it not been political suicide to do so, then Tanya could have easily ended all their lives in a heartbeat.

“Yes, I would like to know why you brought a weapon yesterday to the royal selection. It seemed rather strange to me, especially after the guard at the door made it very clear that only knights were allowed to carry them inside the throne room.” said Crusch with a stern face.

Her voice was polite, but she seemed slightly upset about the topic. Understandable. Rules were there for a reason and to disrespect them meant to fall outside the boundaries of society.

“Around a week ago I was still fighting a war. Forgive me for my lack of trust, but old habits die hard. To answer your second question, it was allowed to keep it because this blade holds symbolic value for me since my knight presented it to me as a gift.”

Crusch nodded sharply. Nobody even looked at the appetizing delicacies on the table, but instead solely at her. To manipulate four attentive and mistrustful people at the same time would be hard, but the Angel of the Reich specialized in the seemingly impossible. So she pulled up one corner of her lips into a cheeky grin and reached for her teacup.

“You should drink something. We have much to discuss.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

The not-quite-obvious negotiations were proceeding worse than expected. Priscilla Barielle was barely cooperative and spent her time either looking bored while adding nothing to the conversation or letting out a flood of barely concealed insults and mocking comments that also were rather unhelpful. Tanya´s opinion of the insufferable woman had only sunken with each agonizing minute she had to endure her presence. Yes, Priscilla was extremely perceptive and was certainly not stupid, but her general attitude ensured that she would be unfit for any ruling position.

Crush was pleasant enough to converse with, but she seemed far too on edge to let anything of value slip past her lips despite Tanya´s repeated attempts to ease the tension in the room. Social interaction with those that stood on equal footing on the societal ladder was not her speciality. She excelled at conversing with both higher-ups and subordinates, but not with equals.

Anastasia gave the impression of naive happiness and carefree foolishness, but that masquerade was easy enough to see through. There was a hungry glint in her eyes which showed that she was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Like a lurking predator who disguised itself as harmless prey.

Lastly, Emilia took nearly no part in the discourse. She looked away when anybody tried to talk to her and fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably. Her shyness in these kinds of situations was palpable.

All in all it was a disappointing endeavour. Nobody had accidentally revealed any critical information; although that was to be expected. They still managed to learn more about each other´s goals and methods of achieving them so it was not a complete waste of time. After a few hours Tanya decided to politely end the meeting and escorted her rivals to the front gates. While she said goodbye to most of the candidates, she bade Emilia to stay behind for a short moment, because over the course of the relatively fruitless meeting a plan had hatched in Tanya´s mind.

The silver-haired girl was at the weakest power position, which not only meant that she was easiest to manipulate, but also that she would be seen as the smallest threat to the other camps. Allying with one of more powerful candidates would be interpreted as a huge danger from the other camps and could provoke an immediate action to eliminate them both or break up the coalition.

“Emilia, I want to propose an alliance of sorts between our two camps.”

“W-What?”

“I think we both aid help each other enormously. So I am suggesting that we help each other out in certain aspects of our respective candidacies.”

“How? You know that I am a half-elf, right?”

“Yes I do and frankly I do not care. From where I come from demi-humans do not exist at all so I am not compelled by stupid biases.”

“B-But what could I offer you?”

“What exactly is your reason for becoming queen?”

“I don’t understand. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, it is pretty clear that ruling over this kingdom will be extremely hard for you. I assume you have been shunned by the public for your appearance since when you were young? So attempting such a feat like participating in the royal selection must be caused by some ulterior motivation. I ask again... Why do you want to become queen of a country that will never love you?”

Emilia looked very unsure of herself before she took a deep breath and finally answered.

“It´s for my friends... They... I lived in a small village in the Elior forest and one day it... it was frozen. All of them were frozen... I want to save them.”

The girl looked down at her tightly clasped hands.

If they were frozen how could they be saved? Would a normal fire not be enough to thaw the ice? And if they did that wouldn´t the villagers be dead anyway? Tanya had seen enough people freeze to death at the eastern front to know that the victims of ice and snow normally didn’t just wake up again if you heated them over a fire. You might get grilled meat, but even in her hungriest state Tanya would have never stooped so low. Cannibalism was sometimes the only logical option to get certain nutrients, but the health risks were mostly not worth it. That didn’t meant she had not sometimes considered it after five month of constant cold and hard, tasteless bread.

“And winning the royal selection will help you how?”

“Roswaal... he promised that with a few drops of the dragon´s blood I will be able to free them from their prison.”

It seemed like Roswaal was puppeteering the unfortunate girl. Tanya felt a rare notion of pity for Emilia. They both had some astounding similarities. Thrust into a mad world hell-bent on destroying them all the while powerful figures tried to manipulate them. The difference between them was that Tanya had succeeded in carving out a path of her own design by fighting back against the forces that tried to conrtol her.

“So you want to become queen for a small quantity of dragon´s blood.”

It was not a question; it was a statement.

“No-No! Not only for the blood! I want to help others too! I know that sounds kind of selfish, but I really want to achieve equality for all races and classes. Nobody should get hunted down or seen as lesser because of circumstances that they cannot change.”

There was a fire in these amethyst eyes that had burned with such intensity that Emilia had nearly looked like a different person in that moment. Talking about her dream seemed to spark a fiery determination in her that was notably absent from her usual timid persona.

“Well, you´re in luck. That´s exactly where I come in. You see, I don’t want to sit on the throne any more than you probably do, but I have a certain advantage over you.”

The half-elf gave her a confused look.

“I am not a silver-haired half-elf. Again, I don´t have a problem with how you look as long as you are a decent person, but the citizens of this country don’t see it that way. They are ignorant fools who will never accept somebody as their ruler who looks like the witch of envy.”

Emilia flinched both at the name as well as the sad truth in Tanya´s words.

“You want equality? I want that as well. Discrimination is stupid and only hinders progress. I swear to you that if I become queen then I am going to empower the demi-human population to a level where they become just as protected by the law as regular humans. To force many able workers out of profitable jobs they could excel at, because they look different hinders the economy massively. This will not only be good for the populace, but also the country at large.”

“Yes, but... what does that have to do with our possible alliance?”

“If your goal truly is to bring about equality for all then I am simply better suited for the task. I will not be hated by the public for everything I do and I actually have experience in leadership management. It is the hard truth that when I become queen I will be able to achieve your objectives and aspirations far better than you ever could. I simply am the better option. But there is one thing I could do specifically for you.”

Tanya made sure to lean forward and pin Emilia in place with her intense stare.

“I will give you the dragon blood if I become queen.”

Stunned silence froze the girl in near comical shock.

“My proposal is that you will support my campaign for the throne from the shadows and in return I will make all your wishes real that you would have tried to achieve anyway. I will create equality in law for all races and classes in Lugnica and I will aim to massively improve living conditions across Lugnica. Furthermore, I am going to procure a few drops of dragon just blood for you. With this action you will not only help your friends, but the whole nation while you won´t have to worry about trying to become queen anymore. Everything you ever wanted can become yours if you help in getting me on the throne. The prize for a good and peaceful life full of accomplishments is that you will leave the throne to me.”

“Ah... I... Uh...”

This risky offer had robbed the poor girl of her ability to speak coherently. How tragic.

“I don´t want to sound harsh, but how good are your chances of achieving victory in a battle for this title anyway? Do you really think you will have more luck on your own? It´s not like you don´t have a choice, but I would advise to choose wisely.”

These last few words of discouragement had sealed the deal. Emilia had temporarily lost all confidence in herself. This was going better than anticipated!

“How do I... How do I know that you are going to uphold your end of the bargain?”

Clever question. The girl was not as hopeless as Tanya once thought.

“I read in law book that you can swear on the Od Laguna. You will apparently die if you break your promise although I do not know if that is true. We could do that if you wish.”

“I don´t know...”

“That´s alright. Even though I have significantly more to lose than you it is still an incredible risk for you. I will give you a week´s time to come to a decision so that you don’t do anything you might come to regret.”

It was very important to appear trustworthy so as if she had only the girl´s best interests in mind. Not that was even a lie. Tanya truly believed that she had far better chances at fulfilling Emilia´s wishes than the half-elf herself. This was a deal they both would profit from.

“Roswaal... He won´t approve, I think?”

“Would it be acceptable if I talked to him? I am sure we can come to an agreeable solution.”

“Well, he insisted that we travel back to the mansion tomorrow morning for some reason. And he has business today so I don´t think you can meet him any time soon.”

Taking a risk was always painful for Tanya, but sometimes it was necessary. This had the potential to end horribly, but escape per flight was always an option for her.

“Would you be alright if came back with you?”

Emilia made a confused “eh” sound. It was pretty cute.

“I could stay for a week at the mansion while you think about our potential agreement. Meanwhile I also get to negotiate with Roswaal and we can learn a bit more about how each of us thinks and acts. Don´t you think that sounds like a good idea?”

No, it sounded like a terrible plan. Even to Tanya.

“Why... not?”

“That´s the spirit! Ask the margrave kindly if he would accommodate me for a week. I would be very thankful for that. But now it is getting late. You should make your trip back home and find some sleep. Shall I lend you a carriage to bring you back quicker?”

Overwhelming the girl before she had time to protest was an important strategy in her plan. Emilia was so shy and naive that she could not be allowed to dwell on such important choices. That was also why Tanya didn’t want her to be left alone in the following week. Only if she was present would she be able to influence her decision-making process and mould the young half-elf into an ally.

“N-No. I don’t believe that will be necessary. See you tomorrow Tanya!”

Very good! The girl had already accepted the reality that Tanya would accompany her back to the mansion. It nearly felt too easy. Could this be a trap? She would need to prepare for that just in case. This night would undoubtedly not hold much sleep for her; that was for sure.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

If you had access to flight, illusion-, optic- and tracking formulas then finding out where somebody lived was a trivial affair. Especially if that someone wore very distinct white clothing and hid her face in public. Following such a person and arranging discreet patrols around her house were child´s play.

So, Tanya could exactly predict when Emilia would leave her house and react accordingly by sending a messenger to enquire about Roswaal´s decision as soon as possible. To the silver-haired girl and her pink-haired maid it must have looked like the courier appeared straight out of the shadows, because of his precisely timed arrival. No second was wasted as the man collected the information and went off to disappear in the next side alley just as Tanya had taught him to do.

Receiving an answer about whether or not Tanya could come back to the Roswaal mansion was made easy, since she already knew the response before Emilia even stepped through the door. Sound enhancing spells worked at astounding distances if you used them in a relatively silent city at night-time instead of a booming battlefield. Tanya made interesting discoveries like that very day in this new world. Honestly the best magician of the country should know better than to have important conversations directly in front of a large window, even if it was closed.

Yesterday, Roswaal had been surprisingly open about the idea of collaboration between his sponsored candidate and “the stranger girl” as he had called Tanya. Luckily Emilia had been wise enough to omit the details of her proposal, because he would have certainly reacted quite different if he knew that Emilia potentially planned to abandon the royal selection altogether. Fury and disappointment would have been understandable responses in Tanya´s eyes, seeing as the man had invested much time and money into the half-elf to participate at all.

Tanya arrived exactly ten minutes later which she deemed as inconspicuous enough. Emilia appeared happy enough to see her and even somewhat excited about a new guest at the mansion. The girl must have been quite lonely. They chatted for a while before Roswaal finished whatever he was doing and came out of the house. Her best guess was that he had needed the time for his extravagant makeup. She would have died of shame if she dressed herself up like this guy. He honestly looked like a clown. How could anybody take him seriously?

Flying was not an option if she wanted to remain relatively inconspicuous; so she took a separate carriage that followed Emilia´s closely. The driver and two of Reinhard´s most experienced guards were the only personnel she brought with her. The reasons were simple:

Firstly, less staff would mean that Roswaal would have to provide for fewer guests which meant that her debt to him would be smaller than if she had brought a dozen meat-shields.

Secondly, the more unguarded she seemed, the easier would she gain trust, because she appeared like she was trusting them. A high security would cause suspicion and send the wrong signals.

Thirdly, even the best soldiers would be next to useless against a fighter who used magic. Her own experience proved as much. One combat mage equalled around two hundred ground troupes and that had been the truth in the empire! Tanya had no idea how powerful magicians in this world were. Especially Roswaal could possibly surpass even a group of veteran. So bringing more people who would die in seconds in any real confrontation was just plain stupid.

She could have brought Reinhard who was allegedly the best fighter in Lugnica, but he was the only one that she trusted to continue the training of her new battalion. He was a very good teacher who would polish her little investments until she would take over to put the finishing touches on them. Her 204^th needed to be at peak fighting condition as soon as possible and no day could be allowed to go to waste just because she was absent.

The trip only took a few hours which was surprising when one considered the distance they had travelled. Ground dragons were an astonishingly fast method of transportation, but Tanya would have preferred a train. Perhaps she should introduce this country to the majesty of a national railroad system in the future? She filed that thought away for later evaluation.

Roswaal´s mansion was impressive to say the least. It might have been even bigger than the Astrea estate. The gardens were certainly bigger. Even the front lawn was big enough for multiple football fields. Odd, was only that when the maids presented themselves in the entrance hall there were only two of them. The pink one that had accompanied Emilia to the capital and a nearly identical looking one with blue hair. Were only two people in charge of keeping the mansion clean? Impossible.

“This is your room Lady Degurechaff. Lunch will be served in half an hour. I or my sister will come to notify when it is ready.” said the blue one after she shown her the guest quarters

“Thank you kindly. If I am allowed to ask, how many servants are under Lord Roswaal´s employ?”

“Only myself and sister, Lady Degurechaff.”

Tanya urgently wanted subordinates as capable as them. Only these two were in charge of the whole house? Magic was the only explanation.

Her room was big and richly decorated which she could appreciate after sleeping in muddy tents for years. Her bed looked delightfully soft which she was also very grateful for. She went to explore the adjoining room when she noticed it.

Something felt strange about that door. Without touching it, she knew that it radiated magical energy. Was it a trap? Carefully she applied a sound suppressing formula to her footsteps to not be noticed and strengthened her passive barrier into an active mage shield. In a flash she ripped open the door and was totally unprepared for what lay beyond.

A giant library was not what she had imagined her restroom to look like. Now that she thought about it... this room was too big to fit into this part of the mansion. It was geometrically impossible for a room this large to be behind the small door near the edge of the building. Was it magic? Could magic distort space? Were there more hidden rooms all around the mansion?

“What are you doing in Betty´s library, I suppose?”

Tanya had been so overwhelmed with the endless possibilities that such magic could create, that she had completely overlooked the little blond girl directly in front of her. Her attire looked incredibly ridiculous and the little crown on her head made her look like a spoilt princess. At least she read in here which was a good sign that the little girl tried to expand her mental horizons. Acquiring and refining one´s theoretical knowledge was important for any worker who took their career seriously. Not that the girl with her impractical haircut and absurd dress looked like she was making herself useful often.

But then other details were registering in Tanya´s magically enhanced brain. Those pupils... were they butterfly-shaped? No normal human had eyes like that. Was she a demi-human? None of the species she had seen in the capital matched the girl´s appearance. If she was indeed not human than her physical form did not necessarily dictate her age. “Betty” could be far older than the twelve or so years she had initially guessed. It was probably best to treat her with the same respect as an adult. Tanya herself was the best example that looks could be deceiving.

“Please forgive my sudden intrusion. I was on my way to a certain room when this door led me unexpectedly into this place. I am Tanya von Degurechaff, pleased to make your acquaintance Miss...?”

“Beatrice. You may address me as that. Now, why are you here? Are you a friend of the annoying elf girl perhaps?”

It seemed like these tow were not on the best of terms. Maybe she could exploit that.

“You could say that. I hope to do business with her in the future. For this reason I am going to stay for a week at this mansion.”

“What is this strange magic you are using? Betty has never seen something like this. What element even is that, in fact?”

She had not dropped her mage shield yet so it would be only normal for the denizens of this world to be confused by imperial magic formulae. Still, she would not directly answer that question, because it would reveal too much. By evading it she could hopefully distract the girl.

“I have been told that I have an affinity for shadow.”

“Mph... Let me see, I suppose.”

The petite girl (she was smaller than Tanya, which gave her some satisfaction) stretched out her hand and touched her just above her heart. Suddenly she could feel some of her mana draining faster than normal. It was not much, especially for someone with as a large reserve like her, but it was noticeable. Was Beatrice absorbing mana from her?

“Are you sure your affinity is shadow?”

“Yes. Was the magician wrong? I hired a professional just for diagnosing me.”

“He was not much of a professional then, I suppose. Mph.”

“Was he wrong? Can´t I learn shadow magic?”

“No. The imbecile just forgot to notice that you have a talent for light magic as well.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

Tanya inwardly groaned at the prospect that she would have to find either two teachers or ask Roswaal to teach her both shadow and light magic. That would mean that she would have to pay him twice the amount of money or whatever else he wanted! Suddenly an idea lit up her mind like a comically large lightbulb. The library! Maybe she could ask Beatrice for books on these two topics. The little girl seemed knowledgeable enough on the topic of magic.

Unfortunately lunch came first. As much as she wanted to learn about magic it would be unbecoming of her position to be too late for her meal. So she made her way to the dining room together with Beatrice and reserved all her burning questions for later.

Inside were all the familiar faces of the Emilia camp except two new ones. One was a floating grey cat (a spirit perhaps?) and the other was a black-haired boy with exceptionally mean looking eyes.

“Oh hey, who is that Nazi loli?” he asked with a grin.

She froze in place and her eyebrow twitched. How dare he call her that! Where did he even learn that word from? Existed Nazis in this world? That was improbable seeing as concepts like democracy or communism were completely unheard of in this feudal society. A fact that she aimed to rectify soon. (Not the communism part, but the democracy one.)

And what in the Kaiser´s name was a “loli”? Some obscure memory told her that she knew that word, but the meaning behind it had been long forgotten. Whatever it was, it didn´t sound like a compliment. She was sure that it hadn’t been used in the empire which meant that it came from...
Japan. Oh no. Was he a reincarnate too?

That meant that this unassuming looking boy was extremely dangerous. He potentially knew about technology like guns or airships and modern transportation which meant that he could counteract many of her future plans. She would need to either kill him or sway him to her side. Another reason why an alliance with the Emilia camp was so important.

With all the false calm she could muster she pressed out:

“Hello, I am Tanya von Degurechaff and candidate for the throne. I believe we had not the pleasure of being introduced to one another.”

“Hi! My name is Subaru Natsuki and one day I will become the most trusted supporter of my beautiful Emilia. Nice to meet you!” he cheered.

Tanya was baffled by this shameless display of childish innocence. Was he stupid or something? The name at least was a clearly Japanese name so her theory had been correct.

“Our deaaaar Subaru haaaas his way with words you see. It is simply paaart of his charm. He is currently employed as a butler on a probation.”

She gave Roswaal a thankful nod for the information. Her trip had already been worth it just for bringing her attention to the existence of this otherworldly boy. What other dangerous secrets were hidden in this land?

“Well, Subaru... my dear maid toooold me that you defended the village quite bravely in our absence. It would have been truly a hoooooooorrific tragedy to lose my loyal subjects if you had not identified the threat. As a sign of my gratitude aaaand in honour of your heroic deed I will grant you a wish. Anything you may desiiiiire...”

“In that case I want my trial period to end and become fully employed here!”

“You know thaaat I would have arranged for that to happen anyway? How could I have let you go from my services when you proved already to be so uuuuseful? After that whole ordeal I thiiiink he you have rather well earned your full employyyyyment, don’t you think?”

He smiled more brightly than he had any right to.

“Oh... ah... well, in that case I want to learn how to fight. My magic and sword skills are kinda limited at the moment...”

“Even though that are technically two wishes I will glaaaadly grant your request!”

If Tanya wanted to estimate the threat level of the boy then she needed concrete facts. What could he accomplish? How dangerous were his abilities? Hopefully her interest in Subaru wouldn´t appear suspicious.

“If I am allowed to ask, what exactly happened to warrant such a reward?”

“Rem, I believe you are better suited for explaining the details. Please enlighten our guest about what happend while we were in the capital. Emilia is suuuuurely curious as well.”

“Yes Lord Roswaal” replied the maid dutifully.

“Subaru went to the village the day before yesterday and found out with the help of Lady Beatrice that a mabeast had crossed the magical barrier. Later he was able to track down the beast which had abducted several children at this point. Subaru and I managed to evacuate them safely and defeated the one responsible for cursing them. Although I sustained only minor injuries, Subaru was not so lucky. His wounds were healed by Lady Beatrice, but he has been unfortunately cursed. I humbly beg of you Milord, please track down the responsible witchbeasts until night break or I fear for Subaru´s life. It is much to ask from you Lord Roswaal, but else he will not be able to serve you much longer.”

Tanya wondered how curses functioned. Were they immediately noticeable? If not than she could use them as a weapon...

“Oh, yeah... that little detail kinda slipped my mind.” said the boy in question while he scratched his neck in an embarrassed fashion.

“Worry not my sweet Rem. Even if he was not a valued employee of mine I would not hesitate to save him. It shall be done.”

Her respect for the ridiculously dressed man grew a tiny bit when he showed how much he cared for his subordinates. Wasting such a valuable resource would have been shameful. Instead through establishing trust by saving his life would only lead to a better workplace relationship between the two.

“Subaru you dunderhead! If you got hurt the why aren’t you in bed instead of sitting here? You should rest!”

“Thank you for your concern Emi, but I wanted to see you in person. Only the sight of your marvellous beauty could truly cure my wounds. Also who says ´dunderhead´ in this day and age anymore?”

Only years of experiencing the most uncomfortable pains prevented Tanya from openly cringing at the clumsy compliment. This boy possessed the social awareness of a rock! Even the poor Emilia had no words to voice her opinion on such idiocy.

“Regardless of how interesting the last few days have beeeeen, I think we should now begin with our meaaal...”

Damn, Roswaal´s voice was annoying. Why did he talk that way? Was it a trick to make other people around him uncomfortable? If yes, then he was very effective.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

Subaru was in a surprisingly good mood. Maybe it was not all that surprising, he was Subaru after all. If the world gave him no reason to smile then he would invent one. But for any other person it would have been impossible to feel happy in this moment. He was injured, his head felt like it would explode in a few minutes and the curse that had been placed on him would kill him in a few hours. Nonetheless, he couldn´t help himself but feel thankful.

He had done it!

Finally!

After thirteen loops to get here, he had managed to save both the children and Rem at long last. He did not want to see them dead again. He would not- no, could not look into their unseeing eyes knowing that he had failed them. Now they would live. Now they were safe. Because he had saved them! He had been useful! He, Subaru Natsuki, a helpless loser form another world had saved them! Wasn´t that the best feeling in the world?

Hopefully this would be enough to repay Emilia´s kindness. Only a complete angel would take in a suspicious stranger like him and give him a job. Emilia was the best!

It had been disheartening to hear that she would leave the manor so soon after they only got to spend a few days together, but his terrible luck allowed him to relive these four days again and again so he had been able to learn much about her. In general he had learned so much and that was also something he was grateful for. Repeating loop after loop had made sure that he could now read much of the written language of this kingdom. He also knew the layout of the mansion perfectly and he was able to cast magic. Magic! He could do magic! How awesome was that?

Even though it was an ancient truth that all heroes who got transported into new world received unbelievable and unmatched magic powers, it was still exciting to experience it firsthand. Well... he got another superpower already, but it kinda sucked. Return by Death was cool and all... but it really hurt. It really did.

Distracting himself from his gloomy thoughts he idly scratched his bandages and wondered who the blond girl on the other side of the table was. She had introduced herself as “Tanya von Degurechaff” which sounded like a comparatively normal name for this crazy world, but her eyebrow had noticeably twitched when he had called her “nazi loli” and that confused him. Her attire really reminded him of an old german uniform and she held herself in a rather stoic and rigid way that suggested that she was not up for fun or light-hearted banter. That´s where the “nazi” part of the joke came in. He honestly hadn’t meant it as an insult.

The “loli” part arose obviously from her short stature and her pretty, doll-like face. Her appearance was not unlike Beako, now that he thought about it. And in the few days that she knew him he already managed to worm his way into her heart. He was sure of it. So why not try to befriend this Tanya loli too? She couldn’t be much more of a tsundere then Beatrice. Or Ram maybe. That much was for certain.

But all that was not important, because she had understood at least in part what he had been talking about which should be impossible for anyone from this world. Both the word “nazi” as well as “loli” were entirely unknown here. If Beako, the girl that spent all her time indoors reading (not unlike him), could not recognize the sacred description of “loli” then nobody here could. Nazis were also not present in this world if he was not mistaken, so how had she understood the meaning of his silly joke?

Maybe he was just imagining things. It would only be natural for him to become paranoid from dying so much after all. Or he had simply interpreted too much into a meaningless reaction. Beako had also answered his words that she did not know with reactions of surprise and irritation. That was it what made her so fun to tease.

Still, she was another candidate and rival of his lovely Emilia so he would approach her with caution. But who knew? Maybe they could ally their camps? From what Puck had told him Emilia seemed rather lonely. That was absolutely undeserved for a heavenly being like her! More friends would be good for her; she deserved to be happy. Tanya appeared nice enough. Certainly more so than Ram. (The pink-haired maid was his trusted and unsurpassed bench-mark for meanness.)

Subaru was so deep in thought about all the different ways in which he could make his Emilia happy that he had not realized how intensely he was staring at the object of his desire.

“Subaru! Is something the matter? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to rest?”

“Uhm,... no? Of course not Emilia-tan! Your adorable face was just distracted me with its unmatched magnificence. I could lose myself in your eyes for hours!”

All females at the table except Rem shot him a withering glare. Ram even scoffed and he would swear that he could hear her say something about “Pervert Barusu having no shame” or something like that. Emilia just blushed at the compliment.

Tanya asked: “Honesty is an admirable trait to have, but are you always this straightforward?”

“Well... I’m an open book! I think the world would be a better place if anybody would just admit to their feelings.”

The cute (but not as cute as Beako) blonde continued to look at him with a slightly raised eyebrow and an incredulous look in her eyes like she couldn’t believe his words. So naturally in his role as Subaru Nasuki, fool extraordinaire he had to explain it to her.

“You see, it only hurts those closest to you if you keep your emotions closed up all the time. See Rem for example: she always felt inferior to her sister even though that is totally wrong and unfounded. For years she resented herself for no good reason although her sister would probably never encourage such a thought. I have only known Ram for a few days, but I am certain that she loves her twin with all her heart and would never think of her as lesser than herself. Therefore not only did she hurt herself by never admitting her feeling, but also her sister who would not like her thinking like that.”

Ram watched with wide eyes and began to turn to her sister with clear shock written in her face. Ooops! He hadn´t meant to expose family secrets like that. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too mad at him for telling the truth, but it had to be said. And it would make things easier for Rem to explain in private. Hopefully.

“It is true sister. I never intended for you to be hurt by this, but I knew that I could never be as good or as talented as you. I'm sorry I should have told you...”

Ram threw him a dirty look that promised a confrontation later on. Oh joy...

“Rem, why are you speaking such nonsense? The only person that could even hope to surpass me in the quality of her work and her overall adorableness would be you. I am not saying this as your loving sister, although I will always be that, but from an objective point of view. Even a complete idiot like Barusu is able to see your greatness.”

“I already told you Rem that I mean it when I said you are wonderful. I have never seen you as a replacement or a substitute for your sister. We all like you just for who you are.”

“It seems as wonders can still happen, because I sadly find myself agreeing with moron over there. We will take about this tonight. Don´t worry.”

“T-Thank you...” snivelled a emotionally distraught Rem.

“Oh myyyyy, how unfortuuuuunate.” said the clown.

Regardless of how many good things Roswaal had done for him Subaru couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with the man. A sinister aura was surrounding him that made him hard to trust.

“Whaaat an iiiinteresting issue that we will hopeeeefully be able to resolve soooon. Nonetheless do some of us more pressing matters to discuss. Lady Degurechaff, a word please.”

That damned clown was planning something. He knew it!

Chapter Text

Chapter 22

Tanya´s fellow reincarnate was an idiot. That was the only possible conclusion after his outburst at the dining table. Or he played his part so masterfully that he was indistinguishable from a real one. Whatever the case, she would need to keep an eye on him. Fools or manipulators like him were the most dangerous variables on a battlefield, because you could never predict their actions. They were either not driven by reason or followed plans so insidious that escaping them was barely possible. The best comparison to a person like Subaru Natsuki would be a stray, wrong-triggered grenade that could explode in the most unexpected way at any moment. Truly a unpleasant factor to plan around.

If the boy came under her employ (and he would, of that she had no doubts) then she would to drill this behaviour out of him. To keep him on a tight leash would be necessary not only for his own wellbeing, but also to protect the otherworldly secrets that he possessed. Luckily he seemed quite taken by Emilia which would make it hopefully a little easier to properly break him in. Under the pretence that his work would benefit his Lady he could be motivated rather well.

At least his loudmouthed carelessness would reveal many valuable details about the inhabitants of the mansion. With his unknowing help he had already painted a fairly comprehensive picture of the two twin maids of this place. Tanya had already seen many different demi-humans, but the strange hair colours of Lugnica were hard to accept. Blue and pink! How was that even biologically possible? And honestly who thought that giving two nearly identical looking girls with nearly identical sounding names was a good idea?

Roswaal was even weirder. She knew from spying on him through his window that he could speak without the ridiculous accent and he was certainly not an ugly man under all the layers of makeup, so it made no sense to her why he added it in the first place. Did he want to stand out from the crowd? To make him more “special”? If so, then that unbelievably stupid. He was already the most powerful magician in the country!

Now he wanted to talk to her which was to be expected. Tanya had not come here as a vacation after all. What she had not predicted was the urgency of his request. Discussing political matters with her now directly after she had arrived at his estate appeared unnecessarily tactless and rude. He must have gotten a pretty good reason then to warrant such a diplomatic blunder. The game was turning serious.

“How loooong would you like to stay in this wonderful home of miiiine?”

Tanya blinked. Slowly. And blinked again. That was what he wanted to discuss? What?

“Six days at least. If relationships between and Lady Emilia and I prosper then I could imagine a few days more than that. As lovely as this mansion is Lord Roswaal I fear a longer stay would be unwise seeing as I have my own business to attend to back in the capital.”

She had to train her 204^th after all. There was no time to waste. Nonetheless would the stay here hopefully teach her much about this world´s magic and other hard to find secrets.

“I am overjoooooooyed that you have taken such a liking to my property, but I must sadly infooorm you that you will have to leave in exactly five daaaays.”

“And why is that if I am allowed to ask?”

“In five days I am goooooing on some important errands and it woooould be unforgivably rude of me in my role as your host to leave you alone here.” he grinned.

The lie was so obvious that Tanya felt insulted by his bluntness. Sadly, there was not much she could do about it. Maybe if she fed the ground-dragons poisoned fodder then she would be unable to depart... No, resistance was not worth it in this case. Five days would have to be enough for her to sway Emilia and eventually Roswaal to her side.

“If that is what you propose then who am I not to honour your wishes Lord Roswaal. I shall depart in five days if you so choose.”

She placed great importance on the fact that he was making her do this to remind him that she did not appreciate his demeanour. What was this man planning? What would happen in five days? Was that a trap? Was he planning an ambush?

“Excellent. Noooow if you could please enlighten me... What exact reason do I have to thank for your visit? Emiiiilia was rather tight-lipped yesterday about the nature of your planned alliance.”

Saying the truth would be detrimental at this stage, but lying would cost her much trust later on. Naturally she chose the path in the middle. Half-truths and logically sound distractions that could not easily be refuted would probably be enough to satiate the margrave´s curiosity.

“I suggested for Lady Emilia to unite our camps to boost her popularity and help achieve our mutual goals far easier. As you may know I intend for this country to flourish and grow regardless if I become queen or not, so I am sure that me and Lady Emilia will be able to find a lot of common ground. I also would be willing to offer her my vast experience on tactics and political schemes as a counceller of sorts. The world is a dangerous place and more preparation for perilious situations would certainly do her some good.”

“Aaaaaand what would you get ouuuut of the deal?”

Now came the tricky part. If she demanded too much she would seem arrogant and if she demanded not enough then that make her look suspicious.

“That is what I have come to determine with Lady Emilia over the course of the next week, but I already have a few details in mind. For example, as a man with huge magical prowess, in all six elements no less, you surely knew of the value of knowledge. Information is the most precious thing in the world and as such interests me greatly. I had already the pleasure of stumbling over your library and I would be more than happy to visit it again with your permission.”

“The Forbidden Library is indeeeeed a spectacular place, but you will have to speak with Beatrice about uuuusing it for your purposes. She is the protector of aaaall of its contents and has the sole authority over this place.”

That only strengthened her theory about Beatrice not being a human. No one in their right mind would entrust a place as important as the "Forbidden Library" to a little girl. Why was it called "forbidden" anyway? Whatever was hidden inside must be extremely secretive to be hidden away like that. She needed to talk with Beatrice again. 

“Then I will do that. Would that be all you wanted to talk about?”

“Yes, quite. Enjoy your staaaay...”

Tanya felt relief and unease in equal measure when she heard his answer. Relief, because he had swallowed the bait and would hopefully ask not too many questions in the next few days and unease, because his menacing grin seemed to indicate that he knew more than he let on. What a strange man. He was planning something, but she was not sure what. Maybe she would need to eliminate him in the near future.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

She wanted to immediately go and speak with Beatrice, but she cautiously refrained from doing so. Her urge to finally learn more about elemental magic was strong, but it would be unwise to bother the librarian so soon after they had just met for the first time. The not-quite-human girl seemed to prefer silence and loneliness, as expected from someone who guarded a library without many visitors.

Instead she would use the rest of this day to get closer to Emilia and her servant Subaru. Even though both gave off a naive and immature appearance they were integral to her plans. The half-elf, because she was a rival and ideal scapegoat for Tanya´s future misdeeds and the (probably) japanese boy, because his knowledge could potentially augment her own and was too dangerous to be controlled by anyone else other than her. After sixteen years of steady memory loss she had sadly forgotten many achievements of the modern world and his help would surely prove invaluable in recovering the wisdoms of more enlightened times.

The first on her mental list was Emilia. Consulting with her servant before her could be misunderstood as an affront or even treachery. It would simply not do to speak with Subaru after they had just met at the dining table. The problem was just that she had no clue where the silver-haired half-elf was at the moment. When Tanya left Roswaal´s bureau the whole mansion appeared deserted. Where was everybody?

A partial answer to this question revealed itself when she spotted both people she wanted meet outside on the front lawn. How unbecoming of a royal candidate! Was Emilia not aware of how that looked? Lazing around on the bare ground with peasant no less! Tanya hurried to the front door and didn’t even bother to spy on their conversation, because the stupid grin on Subaru´s face told her that it could not possibly be something important.

“How fortunate to find you both here. Am I interrupting something?”

“N-No!” stuttered a faintly red-faced Emilia.

“Yes!” came Subaru´s unsurprisingly shameless reply. His lack of tact did not compel him in the slightest to hide his indignation. He undoubtedly lacked all forms of self-restraint.

Tanya chose to ignore his childish scorn in favour of focusing on the more important member of their little group.

“Very well. I chose this moment to say thank you for your hospitality. We have known each other for little more than a few days and you have already invited me into your home. For that I am grateful and I appreciate the sign of your trust.”

“Oh think nothing of it. This alliance could help us both immensely. It is just common decency to show you how I live if you have done so as well.”

Wonderful! She had taken the bait again.

“To that I agree. Good friends are far trickier to make than bitter enemies. On a different note... how much do you trust your servant here?”

This was a perfect opportunity to observe how close these two really were. With luck both had feelings to each other that would make them predictable and easier to use. If you knew what somebody wanted and how much they wanted it then you could dictate the prize for the object of their desire confidently.

“Rather well? I mean we met only a few days ago and I don´t know too much about him...”

For a brief instant Subaru’s eyes revealed a deep hurt and sorrow within them. Was he delusional and expected Emilia to return his unrealistic feelings of affection after only a few days? Or was there something deeper at play here?

The silver-haired girl continued: “But he has already done a great service to me by protecting the village and I believe that he has a pure and honest heart... even if he is a bit silly at times.”

He dramatically gripped his chest and loudly proclaimed: “My heart melts from Emilia-tan´s kindness! It´s just too much. Ahhh!”

Tanya only raised an eyebrow. If her recruits had displayed such behaviour they would gotten latrine duty for a month. How did Emilia expect to be taken seriously with subordinates like that?

“Then I guess he can stay during our little conversation. Although I would advise you to not bring him to our first round of negotiations tomorrow. He would certainly lighten the mood, but his presence would otherwise be unneeded.”

“Hey!”

“Of course. What have you come here to talk about?” said Emilia in an amateurish attempt to sound businesslike.

The poor girl had no experience with things at all! She must have had insane luck to be found by Tanya or else even a toddler could have taken advantage of her. Tanya would do that as well, but at least she would do so with both their best interests in mind. Manipulation was only unethical if it benefitted just one party after all.

“I wanted to learn a bit more about you. I showed you some of my memories at the royal selection so I thought it would only be fair if you told me about your past as well.”

This was a bold move that unfortunately seemed to leave no positive effect on the girl. A problematic childhood was the likely reason if she interpreted the reluctant dissatisfaction on Emilia´s face correctly. Maybe she could use this trauma against her? Psychological warfare was the best! (Probably because no means of production or infrastructures got damaged by it.)

“You don´t have to go into much detail if you don’t want to. Our past is not always pleasant to talk about. I know that better than anyone.”

By appearing sympathetic to her tragic backstory she would hopefully appear similar to the naive girl, what in turn would lead her to feel a sense of “camaraderie” at their shared suffering. Pity was not something Tanya usually wanted, but now it would aid her well in acquiring trust.

“Well... I already told you that I come from the Elior forest that was frozen. When I awoke there I remembered only very little of my time before I was frozen so I can´t actually tell you much. But it was at this moment that I met Puck for the first time and we formed a contract.”

“Puck?”

“Oh, yes. I forgot that you have not met him already. He is my contracted spirit.”

She tapped the gem on her necklace a few times and suddenly a small, grey cat floated out it.

A cat. A spirit cat. What the hell. Magic here was so ludicrous!

“Ah Lia, what is it? I was dreaming so peacefully right now.”

“Sorry Puck, but I wanted you to introduce yourself to Tanya here.”

“Hi! I'm Puck! Lia´s protector and cutest spirit around.  I hope you don´t try anything unsavoury towards her or I will have to intervene.” cheered the cat even though his voice took on a more sinister quality at the end.

“Yeah don’t even bother to try anything, because he can read your emotions.”

She had to suppress a smile. Subaru, the glorious idiot had gifted her with another piece of invaluable information. Had she been left in the dark about Puck´s abilities then she would have made a potentially fatal mistake while negotiating. Now she could plan around that and prepare herself. This guy was helping her more than Emilia it seemed.

Because the mind-reading spirit had gotten in the way of her plans she directed the chat into safer territories. A meaningless conversation of pleasantries and humorous anecdotes ensued which hid her true intentions well. This cat really was a nuisance.

Half an hour later and Tanya excused herself to practice the techniques Reinhard had shown her for her sword training. She had no doubt that she could already kill pretty effectively with her cutlass, but more finesse never hurt. It proved also to be a decent enough method to kill time.

As the evening progressed she made sure to send her driver back home with a message to Reinhard that detailed that she would be returning home in exactly five days. This served as a safety measure to ensure that he knew if something unexpected happened to her. Should she arrive too late then he would with a bit of luck be already on his way to meet her or search for her.

Roswaal was not trustworthy and who knew what he may have planned for her. So she was very happy when one of the maids “accidentally” overheard her conversation with the messenger so that she could report those words back to her master. If Roswaal knew that the Swordsaint awaited her return then he would definitely not dare to ambush her during the journey.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24

Rem felt conflicted about the new guest of Lord Roswaal. Tanya von Degurechaff reeked of the unholy witch´s odour that clung to Subaru as well. A week ago she would have tried to kill her for being a follower of the witch´s cult, but the newly appointed butler had shown her that the foul smell alone was no indication of ill will. In fact Rem felt extremely guilty for mistrusting Subaru so much during the first few days even though he obviously just wanted to help.

Now her opinion of the young man had shifted dramatically. Yes, he was weak and reckless and a little bit silly, but that was unimportant to her. She could see deeper than the superficial layers he surrounded himself with. Underneath his sometimes slightly off-putting exterior lay a heart full of courage and love and a fierce protectiveness that reminded her of her sister.

The first thing he had done after pushing her out of harm’s way and taking the brunt force of the attack was asking if she was alright. He had dragged one of the children out of the forest while his left arm had nearly been ripped off and had tried to simultaneously put up a smile to tell her that everything was going to be fine even though it clearly wasn´t. (Had Lady Beatrice not extraordinary healing powers then he would have probably lost the appendage for good. He still had to wear bandages after excessive treatment for dragon´s sakes!)

And everything he had done was to protect her and the village children who he had barely known at all. Such compassion and valour had to be admired. The look of pure bliss in his eyes when she had told him that everybody was safe had made her own heart skip a beat. Those scary eyes of his had never looked so inviting. Only sister had ever cared for her that much. For a foolish, undeserving, selfish Rem!

If he knew how inferior to Ram she was then he most likely would never look at her the same way again. She didn’t want that though! Actually, she wouldn’t mind if he looked more at her... Oh, how selfish she was!

That was at least what she had initially thought, but now she wasn´t so sure anymore. Subaru had explained to her in great detail why he liked her, even preferred her to her sister! How was that possible? She was just a worse version of Ram. But this incredible boy had assured her that that was not the case. For him she was stronger and more capable (and cuter) than sister. Rem couldn’t possibly describe the feelings of joy and unexpected relief that flood her being.

In this moment she vowed to pay back her debt to Subaru Natsuki. She would be there for him and stand at his side in every situation. He was the light that lifted the darkness which had suffocated her life until this point. This gift of hope for the future was priceless and could only be repaid with her life. He was her hero.

So, if a unassuming, clumsy boy like him could capture her heart despite his hideous scent then she would give Tanya the same chance. Stupid prejudices would lead her nowhere. Ram would not make this mistake twice!

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Puck on the other hand was as tense as when Roswaal had first showed up in the Elior forest. This Tanya girl was up to no good. He could feel it! Something sinister was hidden behind these shining blue eyes and it would affect Emilia. She was dangerous!

Her mind had been confusing to say the least. Unlike most people who felt only one or two emotions at a time she had layers. He didn´t know how to explain it really, but all the normal emotions that filled regular people’s heads were somehow dulled or suppressed by a thick, grey blanket of indifference. It appeared like she reacted only inwardly, but smothered these feelings before they could control her thoughts. At least sometimes, because on rare occasions some emotions would slip through the barrier only to be held back mere moments later.

To have such self-control at a lower age than his daughter was impressive and disconcerting. Tanya knew how not to react on impulses and always operate in a way that suited her goals. It was cold and inhuman and Puck didn´t like that. Especially if this person tried to form an alliance with Emilia. She would no doubt use his wonderful Lia to ruthlessly further her own goals while pretending to care for her and that was unacceptable!

The strangeness didn’t end there however. When Puck used all his power to look as deep as he could into her soul he found two seemingly foreign powers cling to it. One was the purplish-black miasma of the witch that hung over Subaru as well and the other was... kind of the exact opposite?

It was an aura of blinding gold and white that smelt faintly of burning incense and roses. The scent was not unpleasant, but became quickly overwhelming the longer he examined it. If the theory hadn´t sounded so ludicrous then he could have sworn that the weird light tried to purge all imperfections from what it touched like it represented pure “holiness”. Was it a curse? In his four hundred years he had never seen such a curse though. And what did the witch´s scent signify?

Subaru had it on him and he was certainly not a cultist. If Tanya did not come from this world like his daughter had said then she was probably also not one. But two people showing up with the exact same unnatural attribute was highly suspicious.

Wait a minute...

Both the scary-eyed boy and Tanya had show up roughly a week ago and stunk that way. Subaru was surprisingly unknowing about a lot of basic things in Lugnica and he openly admitted to being not from anywhere they would recognize which was a very odd thing to say. Could it be that he was not from this world as well? He talked strange, his mannerisms were even stranger and he was so naive that it was a wonder he had survived thus far. It seemed like a logical conclusion.

If the witch´s miasma was a sign of otherworldly travel then that would explain this phenomenon quite well. But was the witch bringing these people here? For what reason? Nothing good could come of this if the jealous witch wanted them here. Her plans would bring only evil and destruction to the world as they had four hundred years ago. Puck honestly considered if he should kill them both to prevent anything bad from happening to Emilia.

The problem with that would only be that Lia would lose her closest (and only) friend and a valuable ally as well. No other noble or candidate had expressed even the smallest desire to work with her and his unfortunate child would need all the help she could get to achieve her dream. Maybe Tanya truly could help with that.

Nonetheless, he would definitely keep an eye on her!

Chapter Text

Chapter 25

Dinner was a rather dull experience for Tanya. Everything had been vastly complicated by the revelation that Emilia´s spirit could read emotions and likely detect lies. This changed her complete approach for subtle information gathering and manipulation. Every word that she uttered and expression that she displayed had to be genuine which made the process so much slower.

Still, not all was lost! Tanya was lucky that sixteen years of Being X´s cruelty had not been able to dull her heart or turn her into a raving fanatic. If anything her many losses and victories had shown her what she had lacked in her first life as a salaryman. The memories were fuzzy and distant, but she remembered that she had no real friends or colleges that she was genuinely proud of. There had been no people she was glad to have met, that she would cherish.

Her first life had also lacked a true fulfilment. Yes, she had worked good and hard and earned a fine pay, but what had she ever truly accomplished? What was left of her after her untimely demise at the hands of a vengeful co-worker?

No, money and status alone did not make happy. Her beloved battalion had brought her no such things and she had still felt content when spending time with them. When it not rained bullets and grenades or the unforgiving weather drenched her to the bones or froze her fingers off then the presence of her comrades had made her feel... cheerful?

She had trained them, moulded them, forged them into unbreakable beasts of flesh and iron and that made her proud. Together they had taken on the impossible and won! They all were connected through a bond that ran deeper than any family ever could. They had bled together! Cried and despaired together and come out on top! In this moment Tanya missed them all so dearly like never before in her life.

True happiness could not be bought with money or riches. It had to be earned by accomplishing the goals that you set out for yourself in the world no matter the cost. And it had to be done together with and for the people that were precious for you. After opening her heart during the fires of war she could never imagine to go back to the narrow-minded, hyper focused state of her initial career. The world was a bigger place than just numbers that dictated the most rational decisions every time, because otherwise there would be no room to simply “live”. All her hard work had to amount to something other a nice pension and a paid off house.

So, it was possible to say that the Great War had not killed off Tanya´s compassion, but rather awakened it. She still would not foolishly trust somebody she just met or actively search for a person to form an emotional connection with, but she was no longer opposed to the idea. If it served not only her work, but also her happiness then she would not resist. Her survival was still her utmost priority; her thoughts were not solely controlled by that however.

Allowing herself to care for Emilia for that matter was not that difficult, because it not only felt good but was also a logical decision. The young half-elf had many qualities to be admired like her friendliness and empathy that made her pleasant to talk with and could be guided to produce a more secure and less naive young woman. With enough time Tanya would make a shining star out of the girl; she was sure of it. She had to be sure to convince Puck that she had no ill intentions. Feeling genuine emotions was the only way to deceive him. Damn it, forcing feelings was hard!

After the rather awkward meal she had the goal to find a book about yin magic in the Forbidden Library, but remembered too late that it was apparently protected by a bizarre “door-crossing” spell that switched its placement in the mansion randomly. Seeing as she couldn´t just open every door in the whole building to find the correct one she asked one of the maids for help.

“Excuse me, but would you happen to know a way to access Lady Beatrice´s library?”

“No Milady, I do not. But Subaru has a strange talent of finding her whenever he wishes to. You should ask him for advice.”

Asking him led to the boy striking an embarrassing pose and proclaiming that he alone commanded the eldritch power of summoning “Beako”. She hoped he was joking.

“Aaaaaand there she is!” screamed the fool while seemingly opening a door at random which indeed revealed the Forbidden Library. His alleged ability appeared to be real which brought Tanya to the dreadful conclusion that she would have to ask Subaru more for his help in the future. Why couldn´t someone competent and professional like these two different coloured maids divine the location of this place? It would make the whole affair that much more bearable.

Beatrice arguably agreed with this sentiment as she asked:
“Why do you disturb Betty again, in fact? Have you made your visit not already this morning? Go and be a nuisance elsewhere, I suppose.”

“Actually I was here to bring a guest, but getting to see you pouting like that was really worth it. You are just too cute! Maybe I should come more often?”

“No! Leave now or you will feel the wrath of the great Beatrice! Just visiting once per day is enough, I suppose!”

“Aww, I knew you cared about me! I will definitely come back tomorrow and then we can go to the village. Playing with children your age is healthy for you Beako.”

“Enough! I am four hundred years old in fact! Stop treating me like a child!”

“But it´s just too adorable to see you flustered. I will take my leave now and leave you with Tanya here. I bet you two can become friends fast. You know, being blond lolis and all that...”

Tanya wanted nothing more in that moment then to punch him, but reigned her murderous urges in, because one if her punches would have severely injured him and she needed him tomorrow. Nonetheless did she take the time to glare menacingly at him for his insolence. How dare he!

“Excuse this pitiful butler. He seems to have forgotten his place and will need to be taught a lesson.”

Subaru paled and visibly shivered under her cold gaze and hastily retreated down the corridor like a wounded dog. Her fierce look was enough for a grown man to piss himself and it was astounding that he hadn´t done so. Maybe fighting the mabeasts in the forest had made him grow a spine.

“Hmmph. He is an annoying pest I suppose.”

Tanya allowed a small grin to creep on her face.

“That much is certainly true. Would you mind if we talked about something more enjoyable for the both of us? Because I am sure we will be able to learn much about magic from each other today.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 26

“You wondered earlier what the magic I was using was and I would gladly teach you about its functionality. You may know that I am from beyond the great waterfall and as such possess powers that have never before been seen in this land.”

If Tanya wanted to learn shadow magic then she needed to give the librarian girl something in return. Such were the rules of capitalism. She doubted that Beatrice would allow her into the “Forbidden Library” for nothing in exchange. It was forbidden for a reason after all. Telling the seemingly young girl about her own brand of magic was the only thing of equal value for someone who valued knowledge above all else. That was the most effective way to bribe her into giving her access to the thousands of ancient tomes stored in this place. At least that was how she expected Beatrice´s mind to function.

Giving away some of her minor secrets would not hurt Tanya in the slightest, because anybody who practiced formulae based magic needed a computation jewel to do so. The only two existing pieces in this world were in her possession as far as she knew. Mathematic equations would hopefully only confuse the people of this medieval society, because they would be unable to compute them fast enough to be of any real use.

“And what do you want in return, I suppose?”

Beatrice tried to sound bored, but the excited glint in her eyes was hard to miss. She had swallowed the hook. Bingo.

“In return I would be thankful if you could let me borrow some of your books about shadow and light magic.”

“That is an agreeable condition, very well. But the day was tiring and Betty wants to be left alone for now. To get you out of here faster Betty will show you some books right now, I suppose.”

How thoughtful of her. This girl understood the importance of time management. They would work together well, she could feel it.

A couple of studious hours later Tanya decided to test her newfound knowledge under the cover of night. Ideally nobody would even notice that she trained and she could avoid some uncomfortable questions from the residents of the estate. Basically devouring several thick tomes had left her with many burning questions and theories that needed to be tested after nightfall. Carefully she left the house through her window and made her way to the backside of the mansion where she was least likely to be noticed.

It was time for testing her first elemental spell.

Slowly she imagined pushing mana through her “gate” and visualized it forming into a black cloud around her. She felt the familiar sensation of magical energy singing in her blood and taking form just below her skin, but the feeling was slightly different. There was a pressure building inside her head that grew by the second.

What was she doing wrong? Where was the mistake? Only veteran experience with countless life or death scenarios prevented her from panicking.

“Think Tanya! Think!” she franticly whispered.

In all the books she had read every spell had been named in strange ways. What she was attempting at the moment was called a “Shamak”. A cloud of black fog that allegedly not only obscured the opponent´s vision, but robbed them of their other senses as well. This little trick would be supremely useful in ambush situations and to make a safe retreat from the battlefield.

Could it be that she was supposed to say the word out loud like in these ridiculous stories about wizards and witches from her first world? Well, witches existed here so why not give it a try. It was ridiculous and stupid, but she was quickly running out of options.

With slight desperation she loudly chanted: “Shamak!” and the world drowned in pure blackness.

The crushing pressure in her head had gone away, but the result was disconcerting. Tanya had to use a quick flight burst to leave the radius of the massive smoke cloud in order to assess its volume. Unexpectedly nearly half the mansion had been enveloped by the dark mist even though she had performed her little experiment a good fifty meters away from the building.

From what the book had described she had assumed the cloud to be just a few meters in diameter, but this exceeded her every expectation. This artificial shadow could engulf hundreds of people if used correctly. Not to mention that she could just cast it repeatedly to expand the affected area.

The only problem was that it had also taken more energy than anticipated. It was not much for someone with incredibly large mana reserves like her, but it was noticeable. Not to mention that she had likely terrified everybody inside the mansion. Hopefully nobody would think of this as an attack...

“That was quite the powerful Shamak I suppose.” said the little librarian floating besides her.

Where had Beatrice come from? It was almost like she just appeared out of thin air. Then again she was not human so it was possible. Tanya managed to show no outwards reaction to her sudden arrival, but was internally frustrated because she had not seen it coming. This could have gotten her killed! She really needed to be more careful.

“I take it that they are normally not that big?”

“Indeed. You lack a proper control of its power. This was your first time using one I suppose?”

“Yes. I am not familiar with yin magic.”

“Mmph. You are fairly powerful for a human. I suppose I will have to teach you so you don’t accidentally mess up this place. Betty could not care less if you reduced that clown´s house to ashes, but she is sadly bound to protect the library there. This leaves me with no other choice I suppose.”

“I am most grateful for your offer and humbly accept.”

This was a wonderful opportunity to learn even more. Books could only teach you so much and the knowledge was often incomplete or lacked a practical orientation. Beatrice just offered a perfect way to expand her arsenal in a faster way than expected.

“That was not an offer, but your thanks are noted even though I do not need them. Betty already knows how great she is in fact.”

“Then how do you propose I could gain greater control over the spell?”

“Just cast it quicker so that less mana is able to accumulate, in fact.”

“Mmm. Sounds easy enough.”

It was indeed easy enough. The mass of black fog was far smaller this time and required comparatively no mana at all. But Tanya was still not satisfied.

She decided to try something different this time. Instead of shoving her mana through her gate, she pushed it towards her Type 97 computation jewel; a process which she was intimately familiar with. Feeling silly by speaking the name of the spell out loud she intoned: “Shamak!” and the same result happened.

Quickly measuring it with a volumetric formula revealed that had nearly the same proportions like the last Shamak, but with the difference that it had cost roughly thirty percent less mana to produce. Was computing it properly with a computation jewel really that much more efficient?

Only now did she realize how much magical energy filled the atmosphere of this place. At first she had paid it no mind, because she had not used huge amounts of energy intensive spells in the capital; so she had thought that her mana reserve recovering faster than normal was just a side effect from the good food and the relatively peaceful rest at night. (Not fearing to get shot or bombed during a nap really did wonders for the morale.) But now she finally understood that the energy density in general was larger than in her homeland.

If this observation of needing thirty percent less mana was accurate then that meant all the mages here were wasting unbelievable amounts of energy! Their primitive “just imagine it”-method held them back and weakened them. How fortunate for her! Due to the high energy density of this world´s atmosphere they were able to squander colossal quantities of mana without a care in the world, but that meant only that she would be able to cast far more magic then them because she was resourceful. A third more energy was nothing to trivialize.

It seemed as if her computation jewel served as an artificial gate that was more stable and could focus and distribute the magical energy far more effectively than a normal gate. A machine was apparently better suited for that then a frail, biological organ which made sense to Tanya. Just like a car was superior to a horse (or in this case a ground dragon) a computation jewel was superior to human gate. How fascinating. Such were the wonders of progress and innovation.

That reminded her that she would need to find a way to reliably produce spare parts for both her orbs to sustain them. Every few month they were in need of repair or they would break down which was an unacceptable outcome. Hopefully the smiths of this world would be up to the task or she would have to invent a method to do it herself. Tanya could already feel a headache forming from the mere thought of all the effort she would have to put in.

“Thank you Beatrice. I will visit you tomorrow after breakfast if that is alright with you.”

“I suppose...”

Now Tanya needed time to think about what she had learnt. The future was looking bright.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27

Her little magic experiment hadn’t gone as unnoticed as she had hoped, because as soon as she flew through her window and got ready for bed the door to her room flew open and a very exasperated maid stormed in.

“My apologies Lady Degurechaff for disturbing you, but is everything alright?”

“Yes, of course. Why should it not be? Has something happened?”

“We feared a possible attack on the mansion. Have you noticed any suspicious activity?”

“You wouldn’t possibly refer to the giant cloud of black smoke outside?” she asked hopefully.

“Exactly that.”

Damn it!

“Well, then I have to apologize for worrying you and by extension your master as well. The strange happenings outside are my fault. Miss Beatrice graciously offered to teach me magic and I might have gone a little overboard. Please forgive my mistake. I did not intend to disturb your sleep.”

“I do not know if Lord Roswaal will forgive you for disturbing his cute maid´s beauty sleep, but I would advise you to properly explain your nightly escapades tomorrow morning.” remarked the pink-haired girl with a freezing tone in her voice.

“Of course. It was merely an accident.”

“Mmph. We will see about that Lady Degurechaff. We will see.”

If that was supposed to intimidate Tanya then it failed miserably. She was not scared in the slightest of the empty threats that Ram seemed so fond of.

After the indignant maid had closed the door behind her Tanya began to trap the room with several motion detecting spells that would run passively while she slept. It was bad enough that she could not lock the door to prevent intruders from suddenly entering like Ram had done, but it would at the very least alert her to their presence.

Her mage shell was also activated in case that someone tried to shoot at her from the doorway or through the annoyingly vulnerable windows. Seriously, how was this place supposed to be defended if all the windows were made from glass and were multiple meters big? Pure foolishness! Everyone could just smash through and would be inside. In a conflict this building would be useless.

After making sure that all her security measures functioned as they should she allowed herself a few hours of restless sleep. Even though the bed was comfortable she was plagued by nightmares.

Morning began with her reading the rest of the books until it was time for breakfast. Due to her bad dreams she had woken early and was extremely sleep deprived which soured her mood. Without Visha´s heavenly coffee this was only worsened. So it was no surprise that she barely spoke a word at the dining table and only stared blankly into her tasteless meal.

Then the stupid maid brought up yesterday´s incident again and made matters even worse. Tanya had secretly hoped that she would forget the whole affair, but of course the pink-haired bitch had not done her that favour.

Now she had to explain the nature of her magic experiments with Beatrice. She made sure to inconspicuously pass as much of the blame as she could onto the other girl, because the petite librarian was not present during the conversation and didn´t seem to be on good terms with Roswaal. This meant that there was only a very small chance that both of them would extensively talk about the whole affair and he would notice the small errors and exaggerations in her story.

Her saving grace was that Roswaal had not been present when it happened, because he was in the forest hunting mabeasts and Emilia and Subaru had been too fast asleep to be aware of what happened outside. In the end it came down to a disagreement between two maids and a royal candidate, so it was clear who won the debate about her innocence.

Unfortunately her magic training was restricted to the daytime hours, but that was only a minor annoyance. A bigger problem was that she needed the help of a strange to find Beatrice´s library again. Well, she just had to make the best out of the situation by interrogating the boy alone.

“Subaru! Do you have a moment to spare?”

“Surely. What you want Lady Degurechaff?”

It would only be a matter of time before the details of her origin spread around if Emilia or Roswaal had not already told him. So to give him this information that was already useless or would soon become common knowledge anyway was an easy decision. She needed to find out more about it him to accurately assess his threat-level or rather usefulness for her plans.

“As you may already know... I was not born in this world. I believe the same applies to you.”

His expression turned into one of comical shock. Tanya had to stifle a laugh at his foolishness.

“What... How did you... Are you from Japan as well?”

“Yes and no actually.” thought Tanya. That was a predictable, but complicated question that required a small misdirection to be answered. He had also just admitted to hail from Japan which would hopefully make him relate to her a bit more if she phrased her story properly.

“Indeed. I was born in Japan, but I moved to a different country and spent more than a decade there. So I sadly do not remember much of my original homeland.”

She needed to speak the truth in the unlikely case that that damned Puck listened in or Emilia decided to question her later in the presence of Subaru. She hated mind reading magic! It violated every sense of privacy and dignity that a person could have. Not even the sanctity of your own thoughts was secured in this land.

“Ah okay...”

He seemed a little put out by this but quickly recovered with a smile.

“But that´s cool! How long do you have been here then? In Lugnica I mean.”

“Around nine days maybe. And you?”

“Mmmm... let me think. Also nine days! How is that possible? Although you could say that it was also a hell of a lot longer for me than that.”

The last part was muttered so quietly, that she had trouble understanding what he said. What was that about? Judging from the haunted look in his eyes, it must have been something unpleasant.

Also, the coincidence was too big to be random. How could they both appear at roughly the exact time and place? That seemed implausible. Was this Being X´s ploy? It had to be! The idiotic bastard had probably arranged for them both to meet up. But why? What could he gain from this. A terrible suspicion overcame Tanya.

“Are you religious?

“I don´t know... Not really? I mean I am open for other ideas...”

“Do you believe in god?”

“Hey there! No need to look so intense. You´re giving me a fright there. Hehe. No, I don´t think I believe in god. At least I never seen or felt anything that would convince me to believe. You are not a religious extremist, are you?”

“No. Quite the opposite. I just had to make sure you were not one of them. I had bad experience with these types of people in the past.”

She pushed the unwanted memory of Mary Sioux´s crazed face down and blocked it with as much will-power as she could muster. Never again! If anyone like that appeared in her life then she would hunt them down and absolutely crush them before they could become a threat. Being X´s puppets would never endanger her ever again!

“Ah... Say, if you are from earth... did you per chance bring a solar-powered powerbank with you? I'm not sure how much longer my mobile phone will last.”

What for the empire´s sake was a “powerbank”? Some sort of battery maybe? And ”solar-powered”... She had heard that word somewhere. Had it something to do with the sun? Could he mean a battery that recharged in the sun? Had something like that even existed when she died in her first life? So many questions and only one way to find out.

“No, I do not possess such a device. Allow me, which year was it when you were transported here?”

“Eh... 2009.”

Wonderful! That meant that he understood how much better a democratic, capitalistic state was compared to this feudal, monarchist society. Science and reason were staples of the modern age that had probably been ingrained into him by savouring the benefits of the post-industrial era. They would work together beautifully when she had hammered a bit more seriousness into his head, for only he would truly understand what she was talking about.

All of that was of course only true if his dimension was like her first life. If his dimension was an alternative reality where intelligent clouds ruled the earth and enslaved humanity then there would be little hope for an intellectual conversation in that regard, but she doubted that. Maybe she should enquire how long he head been in school to discern his state of knowledge.

“How old are you?”

“17. And you?”

Again a tricky question that had no simple answer. On one hand her consciousness had existed for nearly fifty years, but on the other hand her body was only sixteen years old.

“I don´t know exactly, but I have been born around sixteen years ago.”

“Cool! Then you are basically my younger sister! I always wanted a cute, little sister to tease. By the way how were you teleported here? I just kind of blinked and in the next moment I was standing in the middle of the capital. Pretty crazy right?”

Tanya´s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She was nobody´s little sister! And she was above all not cute! As much as she hated her title of “Devil of the Rhine” she had rightfully earned it through struggle and bloodshed. There was nothing cute about her! What was this buffoon thinking how their relationship had progressed during the duration of this conversation? He was still a measly servant and she was a royal candidate. Subaru was lucky that she didn’t demand his head for his disrespect.

“I am not you little sister. I have fought in a war and was part of the military when you were still in primary school! Reign in your wild fantasy, because others might not react as well as I to your bad jokes.”

Subaru gulped.

“Chill dude. Just saying. Anyway, you were in a war? What war?”

Shit! She hadn´t meant to bring attention to this fact. How could she cover this blunder up?

“A conflict with a few of our neighbouring countries. It went on for a few years, but I doubt you have heard of it.”

“But why would you join the army at that age? Isn´t that illegal?”

Ha! If only the command staff had shared his opinion, but the empire was desperate for mages and accepted nearly everybody who displayed enough magical potential. Regardless of age or gender. A fact which had been a lucky strike for her, but was in reality just pure insanity. Why had nobody questioned if it was morally repulsive to send a twelve year old girl to the front lines? She blamed Rudersdorf, the mad dog.

“I had no other choice. Becoming a soldiers was preferable to starving in an orphanage. If I had better parents then my life would have been different.”

“For me it´s rather the opposite, I guess. If my parents hadn´t been so good at everything I would not have been crushed under the weight of their expectations.”

Pathetic. Such good role models should have motivated him to do better. They would have forced him to greatness! Nonetheless did she refrain from lecturing him about this topic. Tanya tried to quickly change the subject of the conversation before Subaru pestered her with his undoubtedly “tragic” backstory any longer. (As if he would know anything about tragedy. He didn´t have to wake up without Visha´s coffee!)

“You said that you just blinked and landed in capital, right? How interesting. The same thing happened to me.”

“Wow. We really have a lot of similarities... Wait. Does that mean....? Do you can do that as well?”

“What? I can do what?”

“Did you... you know... die perhaps?”

Did he figure her out? Had he uncovered the secret of her reincarnation? Maybe he really was an agent sent by Being X. It was best to give a nonverbal answer in case that he could detect lies. So she cocked her head to the side and hummed questioningly.

“Hmm?”

“Can you also return by HHHKKK! Aghhh... Damn that hurt!”

Subaru clutched his heart and grimaced in obvious pain. What was happening right now? Had he gone insane? She needed to distance herself from him before another resident of the mansion could accuse her of poisoning him or something like that. Her reputation was already damaged from the incident last night and she really didn´t need further false evidence to worsen that.

“Ehm, Subaru I think we talked enough for now. I would be very grateful if you could show me the entrance to the Forbidden Library again, please.”

“Of course. Follow me.” he said with a hollow voice and empty eyes which was quite unnerving, considering that he always seemed so cheerful and carefree.

A few minutes later and they arrived at another random door that he had inexplicably divined to be the right one.

“I have to go. Ram will be angry with me if she thinks I am slacking off.”

Tanya just nodded and stepped inside the library without a second glance at the rapidly retreating boy. It was time to teach Beatrice about magic formulae.

Chapter Text

Chapter 28

“What are you doing here, I suppose?” said Beatrice as she looked up from the book she was currently reading.

“I intend to honour our agreement of course. You helped me yesterday with discovering shadow magic and I was under the impression that you would appreciate me teaching you in return.” answered Tanya with a charming smile.

“Mmph. If you are already here then get on with it, I suppose.”

“Gladly.”

A little under an hour later and she had clearly overwhelmed the poor girl with her descriptions of field regulation and vector calculation. It was pretty amusing to see how much Beatrice´s mindset struggled to accept the logic based magic that Tanya showed her. The alien concepts that her mathematic formulae provided her with must have looked like gibberish to any citizen of Lugnica.

When she felt like she had confused the pitiful librarian enough, she packed her sheets full of diagrams and calculations up and said goodbye.

“Oh and if you see Bubby on your way tell him that he should visit more often. Hmph.”

“Forgive the question, but who is ´Bubby´?”

“You may know him as Puck, I suppose. Now leave I am not used to so many daily visitors. It´s distracting, in fact.”

It was clear as day that her inability to comprehend Tanya´s teaching had deeply frustrated her when she still pouted like an angry child. Tanya congratulated herself for a job well done. Beatrice would not be able to use her own knowledge against her. Wonderful. A seemingly equivalent exchange from which only she profited.

Emilia was not hard to find. Mostly because she sat at the same spot as yesterday, but this time without Subaru. Only her weird cat spirit Puck kept her company as he watched her from a distance while she meditated on the front lawn. The strange thing was that she was surrounded by different coloured orbs of light that swarmed all around her. She looked like she was in deep in concentration so Tanya kept a dozen meters away from her to not disturb whatever she was doing.

Her annoying companion however had noticed her so she made an effort to engage in a polite conversation while she was mindful not to raise her voice unnecessarily.

 “Ah, greetings Puck. I should say you that Beatrice misses your presence and you should pay her a visit once in a while. I am under the impression that she gets fairly lonely in her library.”

“Yeah. Betty doesn´t come out of there very often. She not a very outgoing person. You could say she is quite the opposite of me even though we are siblings.”

“Siblings?”

“Not real sibling, but more... you know... adopted in a sense?”

“But I thought you were a spirit that lived countless centuries? Beatrice is certainly younger than that.”

“Didn´t you know? She is a spirit as well. A great spirit in fact.”

“No, I didn’t. Last time I saw her she appeared rather corporeal. I had assumed that she wasn´t a human from her demeanour alone, but I wouldn’t have expected her to be a spirit. Are there more people that walk around who might be spirits in disguise?”

“Haha, no. Great spirits are rare and mostly take on animal forms. Well, I knew someone once who could fit that description, but... he is dead. I am sure.”

A sensitive topic? Better draw the conversation away from it then before Puck became depressed and didn’t answer her questions anymore.

“By the way... What are these lights that surround Emilia?”

“They are minor spirits that she is talking to right now. Normally she communes with them only twice a day, but because of her stay in the capital she has a lot to catch up to, you know?”

“Ahh... And what do they tell her?”

“All kinds of little secrets and events. What the birds in tree over there have been doing, how the grass grows, what the nearby villagers are talking about, what the new guest does in her free time...”

“What?”

“Haha! Only joking. Partially. They are not intelligent enough to understand real words or exact happenings, but it´s enough for emotions and general feelings.”

That sounded insanely useful! She had read about the “spirit arts” in one of her books, but she hadn´t thought that it could be such a valuable tool. This simple meditation allowed the practitioner to basically employ invisible and untraceable spies that were also probably able to go through walls. With this at her disposal no enemy would be able to hide from her. It sounded too good to be true!

“How can you learn this technique? Do you need to become a spirit arts user?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it a technique... and you are not required to be a spirit arts user to accomplish this. A spirit arts user is someone who forms a contract with one or more spirits at a time, but in order to talk with lesser spirits you don´t need contracts. Just your affinity for spirits needs to be relatively high. If you are wondering, no you don´t have a particularly strong affinity.”

“Would you be able to find out more?”

“Sure thing. Just let me touch your forehead real quick... AH!”

His miniature paw retracted quickly and he held it as if it was burnt.

“What just happened? Are you hurt?”

She was legitimately concerned for his well-being. It would leave a terrible impression of her if she accidentally hurt Emilia´s companion after all.

“Not only do you have no affinity for them, you actively repulse them. When I came into contact with you it felt like I was repelled instantly! It was really strange... I am a great spirit and as such I am way more resistant to these kinds of feelings, but the little ones over there would not even be able to go near you if you went to greet them. In all my centuries of being alive I have never seen something like this. Instead of a lacking affinity I would call it a ´spirit aversion´.”

“Very funny. So there is no chance that can learn this?”

She pointed at Emilia who still sat motionless with her eyes closed.

“Nope. Not a chance in hell.”

Tanya could only sigh in disappointment. She had been right; it was too good to be true. She nonetheless continued to watch Emilia determined to still discover the functionality of spirit communication. If she herself was unable to do so then she would just train some of her subordinates to do the job for her. The division of labour to share tasks between specialized individuals was one of the greatest strengths of mankind after all and formed the foundation for an effective, capitalist society.

“Ah, hello Tanya. Nice to meet you here. We didn’t get to talk much during breakfast.”

The silver-haired girl had finished her business with the minor spirits apparently.

“Yes that is true. I was just watching how you summoned so many spirits and was very impressed by how you did it.”

Emilia blushed.

“Oh, it´s nothing really. Everybody could do that.”

“Well, I certainly can´t.” Tanya dryly remarked.

Seeing the half-elf´s questioning look she explained: “Puck assessed my affinity with spirits and found out that I seem to be utterly incompatible with them. It´s not all that surprising really if you consider that no such creatures existed where I came from. Spirits and ghost were usually reserved for fairy tales or the stuff of legends.”

“But Subaru also said that his homeland didn´t have spirits and he gets along pretty well with them.”

That was good to know. She would need to consider the possibility that he was also spying on her with the help of these spirits. So many potential security risks! It was nerve-racking. Was it possible to make a room for lack of a better word “spirit-proof”? Did some kind of magic exist that could lock out these pesky, invisible observers? Hopefully Beatrice knew the answer. As a magic user and spirit she was the most qualified expert.

“Interesting. Has he also learned any magic yet?”

If Subaru was an ordinary boy from the normal, non-magical Japan that she knew, then he was either totally inept in this field or a novice at best. Still, it was important to gauge his abilities.

“Yes. He can manage a few Shamaks and Minyas already. Sadly, his gate is damaged and is in urgent need of healing. That was something I wanted to talk with you about anyway.”

He was a yin magic user as well? The suspicious coincidences certainly piled up further and further. What was her personal, supernatural tormentor planning with the boy? The fact that Being X hadn´t already shown himself to her in one of his demented speeches was unnerving her greatly. Each day that elapsed without his interference made her tenser. Something was brewing at the horizon and she didn’t like it one bit.

“How could I possibly help with his gate? I am no healer.”

“I know, but I would be grateful if you could take him back with you to the capital when you return home and bring him to Lady Crusch. She has the best healer in Lugnica under her employ and he is our best hope of restoring his health.”

“That opens the question why Lady Crusch should do such a thing. He is a member of an opposing camp after all.”

“Well... I might have made a deal with her that puts him under her protection until he is fully healed? Sorry, that I didn´t tell you beforehand.”

“No worries Emilia. I trust you that you would not betray me.”

The half-elf had already started to refer to her on a first name basis and now she tried the same. It was not the proper way, but she had long learned that strictly following the protocol often lead to disaster. To truly be successful you had to know which rules of society to bend in your favour.

This served to tighten their connection by pretending to be friends. Bringing her closer was easy, because Emilia was for some reason way too trusting for someone who was hated by the entire world.

Oh no! She nearly forgot that Puck was listening in. She needed to think something positive! Quick!

Emilia was a kind person who make a good (but not very trustworthy) friend. She would gladly help her reach her goals, because they were very reasonable and were “morally right”. Tanya would even happily make her queen if she swore to always listen to her advice. (In this case Emilia would take the blame from the public if something disastrous happened and she would be the one who was targeted by assassination attempts.)

“Thank you Tanya.” she smiled.

“I see... Have you thought about my proposal? Not the technicalities or the specifics, but just the general gist of our alliance.”

“Yes, but... I don´t know. I don’t know if I want to give up on becoming queen yet. I mean the royal selection has just begun and...”

“I understand.” Tanya interrupted. The girl had still doubts that needed to be quelled. Luckily her experience of working in the human resources department would come in handy.

“I really do. This is a hard decision to make and it is very selfish of me to demand an answer from you in a few days, but know this...”

She tried her best to look as soft, but at the same time as serious as possible.

“Whatever you choose I will not hold it against you. Even if you decline my offer I hope that we can be somewhat friendly towards one another in the future. Just because we would be rivals then doesn’t mean that we must hate each other. We both will be robbed of an opportunity, but that is how life functions. We can´t always get the things we want. You will have to brave to journey to the throne completely on your own and I will have to look for new allies to save this kingdom. Nonetheless will we prevail.”

Tanya made it purposefully sound like Emilia would lose more than she if she refused the bargain. She also used what information she could gleam about the girl to make her losses seem more significant. For example, she knew that Emilia was lonely and understandably afraid of the world that despised her. By indirectly stating that this might be her only chance at gaining an ally she pressured her into accepting. Emilia wouldn’t push the only person of importance (with the exception of Roswaal) away who extended a helping hand to her.

“Uhm... Thank you.”

“No problem. I must be going now. I have much to study after all.”

While she made her way to her room she allowed herself a feral grin.

Mission success. The girl was deceived without her ever having to lie. It wasn´t even a malicious act, because she truly wanted to help her. Alone Emilia would have no chance at rescuing her friends from the forest, simply because the people of Lugnica would never vote for her regardless of how many good deeds she did. Humans were mostly not very rational creatures and generally did not change that much in just a few years. The republicans in exile certainly hadn´t changed their minds in spite of the utter stupidity of their plans and their pathetic defeat. People were sheep.

And she was the wolf.

Chapter Text

Chapter 29

Back to sword training and magic studying. Oh joy. Well, there were far worse recreational activities. (Like burning dead bodies or digging a trench or doing extra paperwork, because everybody else was too stupid to handle it correctly.) At least she experienced a feeling of accomplishment when polishing her abilities that would ultimately ensure her survival.

Wielding a long blade was unusual for Tanya, but she got pretty decent with it. At least when you took into consideration that she had her cutlass for less than a week at this point. As long as you knew which end of the sword to point at your opponent and you were faster than them, the match was won. Technically it could be considered cheating if you stimulated yourself with artificial drugs and enhancement spells, but it had the effect that even her sloppy and untrained movements became faster than the normal eye could see.

She would need to practice more with Reinhard, but against anyone who wasn´t a sword fighting prodigy it would suffice. Her new magic abilities were similarly just brute forced to achieve impressive results in the least amount of time. (A staple of her military career.) For some unknown reason the magic in this world functioned based on a tier system of “El”, “Ul” and “Al” that determined the power of a spell. As if it wasn´t bad enough that she had to openly announce what she conjured by loudly saying for example “Shamak”, she also had to use these stupid prefixes.

Not even Beatrice had been able to tell her from which language these words were derived from, because they sounded unlike any other dialect in the world. How strange. Anyway, using these words in conjunction with a spell increased their power as well as their difficulty. Sometimes this could lead to nasty repercussions if the spell was not absolutely mastered by its user.

Her strategy of avoiding this consisted of simply pumping more mana into it, because she could afford it. The Type 97 reduced the energy cost around thirty percent after all, so she had plenty to spare. This heightened power output imitated the next higher tier of magic without actually using it. For example a simple “Shamak” would become similar to an “El Shamak” by utilizing more mana than normal without her needing to put any extra effort into it.

Sadly this worked not on “Al” tier magic for whatever reason, but she would need to test this at home. The destructive potential of some of these spells was pretty huge and she didn’t want to damage Roswaal´s forest anymore than he already had with his mabeast purge.

Some of her favourite new tricks were “Jiwald” (the ability to shoot burning beams of light from her fingertips) which reminded her of her mage blades, but more distance oriented and “Minya” (the ability to summon and shoot crystallizing shards of purple energy) which would serve as her ranged attack until she found a way to replicate bullets for her gun. There were of course other, more exotic spells like “Nect” that allegedly allowed the user to connect the gates of multiple people and produce a form of telepathy, but to test those she would need willing participants. Risk of injury was too high for it to use on Subaru even though he probably wouldn´t refuse.

“Murak” was borderline useless to her, because she could already fly and reducing her gravity would only confuse her in a fight due to years of muscle memory that would be invalidated by having no momentum. Still, it could also be cast on objects which would allow her to transport heavy things easier and for longer distances.

Its opposite “Vita” increased the gravity of an object which could be insanely overpowered if used at the right moment in a fight. If cast onto an opponent mid jump then they would plummet down to the earth and be unable to move if they weren´t incredibly strong. Should they still be able stand then they would hopefully be slowed down enough to allow for a quick attack from above or behind.

Tanya gleefully imagined what would have happened if she could have used this back in the empire. Droves of enemy mages would suddenly stop moving and drop to the ground like dead flies, ready to be picked up like the cannon fodder they were. The very thought brought a wicked smile to her face. Anyone who would have looked in this moment at the seemingly cute girl would have felt a shiver running down their spine.

Of course there were many more spells, but they were either just worse versions of stuff she already possessed or were unbelievably tough to replicate. Beatrice used her “Door Crossing” to distort space itself which was a feat that awed Tanya. How was that even possible? Didn´t that break the laws of continuity? Magic was incredible, but it followed very strict mathematical and physical principles. To bend space and somehow even time like it was described in one of her books boggled the mind, because it nearly transcended these rules.

When she had asked the little librarian how she had done it, she had either given a none-answer or claimed it to be “Betty´s secret”. As Tanya now knew she was a great spirit of yin and was likely one of (if not the) greatest shadow magician in the world, so it didn’t bother her too much. The likelihood of Beatrice becoming her enemy was very low and she was so protective of her secrets that she would probably not tell anyone who could use such teleportation spells against her.

Yang magic in general was also hard to learn, because books on the subject were even rarer to find in the Forbidden Library than yin books. Furthermore she couldn´t ask anybody other then Roswaal for help in this regard. How was that even fair by the way? Why could the margrave control all six elements, but she couldn´t? Maybe the fame had gotten to her head, but she had been heralded as the greatest combat mage in the world two weeks ago and the thought of now sharing her fame left a sour taste in her mouth for some reason. Healing magic or throwing fireballs sounded so useful! She wanted it!

The world was unfair. It always had been. Crying over spilt milk wasn’t productive in the slightest so she would have to work with what she had. She should almost certainly be thankful that she had affinities for two elements which was pretty rare. Being compatible with both light and shadow was practically unheard of! Even if a person was born with such a skill set they would probably not be able to make much use out of it, because both yin and yang magic required astronomical amounts of mana to cast compared to the regular elements.

All of that had required barely a few hours to find out and made Tanya feel very satisfied with herself. When she went on her way to the dining room for dinner she was very content with what she had managed to achieve already in her short time being here.

The first thing that attracted her attention when Emilia entered the room was that she looked rather glum. When the troubled look didn´t leave her face after several minutes Tanya decided to break the ice and end her silence.

“What´s the matter Emilia? Has something happened?” she asked worriedly.

She made sure to be actually worried in order to fool Puck again. The mood of her hostess and business partner was really important to her after all so it wasn´t too difficult.

“Oh, just... While you were away a messenger arrived and brought some... confusing letters. I am not sure what to make of it.”

“If you want to you can tell me. I have a lot of experience with politics and these kinds of things. Perhaps I can help you.”

Her desire to help was real. Taking this opportunity would improve Emilia´s opinion of her and would allow her to demonstrate her superior management skills.

She hoped this charade was enough to fool the cat spirit.

“Eh... it´s kind of embarrassing...”

“I swear I will not judge you before you have explained everything. Do I look like somebody who got so far in life just by making premature assumptions?”

“Well... some nobles... asked for my hand...”

“They what?!” yelled Subaru.

Honestly, the boy showed his childish emotions way too openly. And he was unnecessarily loud on top. He wouldn’t last a second in any meaningful negotiation with this attitude.

“You know? They want to marry me...”

“Yes. I think we all understood that.”

“Never! They won´t take my beautiful Emilia-tan away from me.”

That was creepy. He should hide his possessiveness more. Ram seemed to agree.

“Pervert Barusu.”

“Iiiiisn´t that wonderfuuuul?” added Roswaal.

Tanya decided to intervene before the poor girl got too flustered and died from a heart attack or something.

“No it is really not.”

Questioning stares from all around the room followed and she felt compelled her to elaborate. Was it really so hard to understand?

“Forming alliances through marriage may sound compelling for some, but you have to be aware of your status Emilia. These people don´t see you as a normal girl or even a real royal candidate. They sadly only regard you for your influence and power. What you are trying to achieve is totally unimportant to them and they do not care for your personality. Even worse, when they look at you they will only see the witch of envy in their stupidity.”

The silver-haired half-elf flinched at the mentioning of the name which caused her so much pain.

“When these kinds of people try to impress you then they don´t really mean it. Only your money is what counts for them. The council has prohibited the candidates to marry during the royal selection for good reason and the nobles know this as well. They have no intention of binding themselves to someone who looks - in their opinion - like the devil. They only want to manipulate you into deluding yourself that they care.”

It was a bit hypocritical of her to lecture her about manipulative nobles, but it was true.

“Reply to them in a polite manner to not alienate them, but otherwise you don’t need to waste a single second to think about such a ridiculous offer. Throw these letters in the trash. I doubt you would want to marry someone who you don’t love anyway.”

Subaru gave his unneeded opinion as well: “Exactly. There is only one right man for you.”

She would have voluntarily prayed to Being X to avoid hearing him finish his little speech.

“Me!”

Both Tanya and the maid twins winced in pain for different reasons.

“As charming as you might be Subaru, I believe you should probably gain more of a social standing before you say things like this. Maybe become a knight or found a successful business.”

If you wanted something then you had to also offer something in return. Preferably something of equal value. That was just common sense.

“Hmph. Even that will not be enough. Being Barusu is a curse in and of itself. No girl could ever want a loser like that.”

The boy took the poisonous words in stride. He clutched his heart in mock-hurt and dramatically exclaimed: “You wound me Ram-chan! How will I ever recover from this? I will probably need much consolation form Emilia-tan to sooth my aching heart!”

“Really?” asked the innocent half-elf worriedly which contrasted heavily with the upset Ram´s next statement.

“What did I say? Don´t call me that! Or do you want to clean the attic again?”

“But I already did that...” he whined.

“Sister, you are being too harsh. Subaru is actually wonderful. He saved me and the children after all.”

“Yes sister. I guess he was useful that one time. This shows that he at least qualifies as a passable meat-shield for my precious sister.”

“As amuuuuusing at this iiiiiis, I agreeee with Lady Degurechaff´s assessment. You shouuuldn´t pay attention to thooooos offers.”

Tanya wanted to use the situation in her favour. Now was her time to shine by distancing herself from the scheming nobles in the capital. Hopefully this would be enough to cement herself as "trustworthy" in Emilia´s mind.

“If somebody truly wants to establish an honest relationship with you then they will make an effort to meet you face to face. I realize that I am not necessarily in a position to say this, but it is true. I came here to this mansion to learn more about you, precisely because I was sincere when I offered you an alliance. As much as I like to mention that it is your choice to accept, it is mine as well. Had I found out during my stay that you were not the kind-hearted, honest, caring person that I expected then I would have retracted my offer.”

That was the truth. If Emilia had turned out to be a sadistic bitch for example then she would have not affiliated with her. Her reputation was at stake!

“Only because I took my time to get to know you better I could be sure that you will be the right one for my plans and the opposite is also true. You best make a decision after you understand how your potential partner acts and thinks. Only sending a letter after they have met you once is not enough.”

She hoped the message had been clear. Tanya von Degurechaff was a trustworthy individual with no bad intentions! Only she was trustworthy enough for Emilia! She gave her advice after all.

“Yes... I understand...”

Tanya smiled genuinely and thought about the most pleasant thing she could come up with at the moment. A happy memory of Visha´s coffee was all it took to deceive Puck´s mind reading. What a pleasant day.

Chapter Text

Chapter 30

Reading about the same pseudo-scientific theories and instructions for spellcasting and the application of magic became boring quickly after Tanya had read all books about the topic that Beatrice was willing to lend her. Both yin and yang magic were not well researched fields of arcane knowledge stemming from the lack of talented mages with the necessary affinities. Therefore most works discussing them were riddled with speculation and guesswork which meant that Tanya would have to test them in detail herself.

It was not only a annoyance that she would have to waste time checking the work of others, because they had been unable to do their job correctly, but it also meant that she couldn’t be sure about the exact nature of the high tier spells. They were much more potent and dangerous so they would require careful study before she potentially injured herself by using them. Her safety was paramount and would not be risked by trusting information from outdated books.

That left her with few things to do besides sword training. Even that was rather ineffective without a sparring partner like Reinhard. The only other obligation would have been teaching Beatrice, but the librarian spirit had refused any more lessons in advanced mathematics which filled Tanya´s heart with joy. Nobody could say that she hadn´t tried to uphold her end of the bargain. Now she wouldn’t have to give away her secrets anymore. As inconsequential as they might be.

So, to not waste any of her precious time she began to catalogue and sketch the most useful inventions from both her previous lives down on paper. The majority of the really valuable ones were sadly beyond her grasp and were not something that she could replicate in a few years. Stuff like cars, electricity, plastic explosives, or vaccines required intricate manufacturing from trained professionals to produce. Her knowledge on these things extended no further than how to use them.

Still, she knew enough useful things to give her a head start by at least a few centuries. Her self-developed combat doctrines, knowledge on ballistics and guns and expertise in finances and economics would hopefully be able to revolutionize this medieval society. When she had asked Emilia if she knew what a "national central bank" or a "share price" was her answer had only consisted of confused head scratching which was already a bad sign. Or a good sign, depending on your perspective. In deficiency laid opportunity after all.

With all the money she would earn through introducing modern concepts like these into this world she could fund research projects to reinvent some of the machines that were beyond her grasp. Even with the limited knowledge on these subjects at least some ideas would certainly be developed for which she could claim ownership. Over the years she would modernize the land step by step and lead it to industrialization.

A process which would only become easier through the wide-spread use of magic everywhere. Mana was easier to find than coal. At the end Lugnica would be so far ahead of the metaphorical curve that the other nations would not even think of declaring war on her, but would instead beg and plead to be a part of the technological change until the whole world advanced to a more civilized level.

Her only concern was the environmental pollution that would be caused by this. Hopefully she would be able to prevent this from happening by teaching the people about the dangers of irresponsible resource depletion thereby stopping a ecological catastrophe before it even began. No need to repeat the mistakes of the past.

This and many more important thoughts about the future filled not only her head, but now also stacks of paper full of illegible glyphs and symbols. To anyone but her it would have looked like the work of a madwoman. Tanya knew better.

Now that she was aware of the possibility that invisible spirits were spying on her at every possible moment, she encrypted her notes and shortened longer words whenever possible. It was a bit paranoid considering that nobody here (even Subaru) would be able to read Germanian anyway, but one could never be too careful.

Aside from that she also prepared a few templates for letters that she would send once she arrived back at the capital. She needed as much support from the nobles as she could gather and that definitely required her to make visits to the most important houses and engage in discussions about her future plans with them. Tanya already dreaded the petty smooth talk and multi-layered speeches full of hidden agendas that such people would torture her with. Kissing up to one´s superiors wasn’t something new to her by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still unpleasant.

Nonetheless was it a shame that she would have to wait until the end of the week before she could make her move on them. The other candidates were almost certainly gaining followers and forming alliances while she was stuck here in the middle of nowhere. If Emilia defied reason and rejected her proposal against all odds then Tanya would have wasted a crucial opportunity to secure her standing in the political landscape. This was the beginning of the royal selection after all.

Well, it wasn’t like she could expect many nobles to swear allegiance to her right from the start. To invest into an unknown player like her was risky and rich people were usually pretty reluctant when it came to potentially wasting lots of money. Actions spoke louder than words, so her achievements and popularity among the proletariat would have to be enough to eventually sway them to her side, but that would require time.

Come to think of it, her mostly trying to appeal to the working populace might even be the better strategy in the long run. Crusch and Priscilla were only fixated on the nobles if her quick character assessment proved correct and Anastasia clearly targeted the wealthy middle class who could afford investing into her multiple businesses. Tanya´s only competition in winning over the hearts of the working and lower class was theoretically Emilia who wanted to improve the living conditions of the poorer people, but the girl was much too shy to openly show herself and properly capitalize on her good deeds.

This influence-vacuum created an exciting opportunity for Tanya to tap into an unattended audience of desperate and unheard commoners. A consumer group that would happily lap up even the smallest bones that she threw to them. Yes indeed, the seemingly powerless people that she had met on the streets of the capital and in the slums would be her greatest asset.

When she had declared at the beginning of the royal selection that she would lead Lugnica to greatness no matter the cost and potentially without the support of the nobles that had been a risky gamble. She still stood by her word, but at the same time she hadn’t wanted to alienate the aristocracy. Instead she wanted to show her unwavering commitment to prove that they could rely on her to be a “winning horse” in this race for the throne. A driving force to be reckoned with was what she had wanted them to see. But now she thought about how she could build upon this and make herself out to be a fighter for the common folk.

Her hatred for communism was still brightly burning within her heart, but it couldn’t be denied that this trainwreck of an ideology had been very effective in rallying vast amounts of human resources to its cause. Maybe she could do the same or at least make use of its methods?

She could already imagine the gigantic propaganda murals and banners with labels like:
“Vote for Tanya von Degurechaff! Bread and free education for all! The future belongs to all of us! Money, blood or birth do not determine your worth!”

Yeah, that would probably be effective to just directly appeal to the general public. If she really wanted to then she could even overthrow the current ruling system after she had seized power and build a democratic state in its place. Although the potential for this endeavour to escalate into a francois revolution was high and senseless bloodshed would only make things for her and the country worse.

What if the people started to turn on her suddenly? It happened often with emotional driven political campaigns. The leaders of the movement were blamed for all of the people’s problems and either forcefully discharged from their position or just straight up executed. No, thanks. Better no revolution. Slow reforms were much more successful at inciting long-lasting change anyway.

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Not canon omake:

Two years later.

“Long live the revolution!” screamed Tanya from atop the smouldering ruins of the royal palace.

“LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION!” shouted the mob filling the plaza from down below.

She increased the power of her sound amplification formula until everybody on this side of the city could hear her clearly.

“Today we freed ourselves from the shackles of the past! From the tyranny of the nobles who thought they could trample over us simply because they were born with power they didn’t earn. But guess what? We now fought for this power! We bled and suffered for it! We EARNED it! Now it is finally within our reach. Everybody deserves a chance in this new country. No longer will our heritage or these false prophets dictate our fate. Only our hard and honest labour can decide our destiny and our worth. So, my people... I ask you... Who are we?”

“EQUALS! EQUALS! EQUALS! EQUALS! EQUALS! EQUALS!”

“Yes we are! Embrace your families; kiss your loved ones... for this day shall mark the beginning of a golden era of prosperity and freedom!”

“TANYA! TANYA! TANYA! TANYA! TANYA! TANYA! TANYA! TANYA!” chanted the crowd with glee.

Tonight The Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica fell and The Free State of Lugnica rose in its place.

Elsewhere, deep under the sea, Andrew R. smiled to himself. Something beautiful had just happened. He could feel it.

“No gods or kings. Only men. Indeed.” he grinned.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tanya stopped her somewhat unrealistic daydreaming and got back to work. Farfetched fantasies had no place in her timetable while so much work had to be done.

“Huh... It really seems like the cushy life away from immediate danger has already gotten to my head. Maybe the good food and comfortable beds are beginning to make me soft.” she murmured to herself with a dry chuckle.

Isolating herself too much from Emilia and her associates would not be a good idea if she wanted to appear approachable and relatable. Gaining the half-elf´s trust was imperative for her plan to work. With this alliance she would strengthen her own position drastically. Not only would she practically double the size of her camp, but also take out a possible rival.

So at long last she finally organized their first real negotiation since her proposal in the Astrea mansion.

“Thank you for coming Emilia. I am aware that we never really spoke about what I want from you while you already told me what you desire. That was not fair from my part so I´d like to correct this mistake now. What do you think I would demand in case that we form an alliance?”

The poor girl was clearly overwhelmed by the direct question at the beginning. Good. Catching her off guard had been intended. Furthermore it saved them both time.

“Well... uh.... based on what you said in the capital I assumed that you want me to resign from the royal selection and support you in your campaign, because you have a better chance at succeeding than I.”

“Yes. That was how I worded it back then. And in return I would make your wishes come true that you were going to fulfil anyways if you were to become queen.”

Tanya looked her deep into the eyes and let that sink in.

“Of course we will have to hammer out the finer details at a later date, but that was the general idea of our alliance. Do you believe our host here would appreciate that?”

“Eh? No, I don’t think so.”

“I suspected as much. Roswaal would understandably not be pleased with this arrangement. Giving up on ascending the throne would be a grave insult to him. He is your trusted sponsor after all. So I have a slightly different offer for you.”

Roswaal was a powerful individual that Tanya wanted to rely on in the future. Simply destroying the Emilia camp by tricking the half-elf into being abandoned by her sponsor was not a desirable outcome. He would not spend his time and money on somebody who could not become queen after all. In order to control the margrave she needed him bound to Emilia so she had changed her tactic.

“If we signed the contract the way I described it then you would totally abandon your chance at the royal selection, but it does not have to be this way. What if we participate alongside each other?”

“What do you mean?”

“I am saying that we will help each other and share our resources to a certain extent, but it will not be possible for you to become queen. Every success you achieve will be credited to your camp under the condition that you mention my help should I have assisted you in the situation. In exchange I will try my best to publicly vouch for your name and present you in a positive light until the people of Lugnica no longer fear you. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? If you become indeed more popular than my camp then I will advise my supporters to vote for you. The opposite is of course also the case. I expect your followers to support me should I win this bet.”

This way the slim possibility existed that her partner could still uphold her promise to Roswaal. Tanya wouldn’t let it come to that, but most likely the people would be too bigoted either way to see her as anything other than a witch.

“Do you want to what the best part about this deal would be? Our chances of winning the royal selection will increase drastically. Even if both of us would get less votes individually than the other candidates, together we will be nigh unstoppable if we play our cards right. Whoever of us both becomes the victor will have the votes of two whole camps behind her!”

“Lia, is that really the best decision?” asked Puck worriedly.

Before he could sway Emilia from her side Tanya intervened.

“It is the perfect proposal. This way you will not lose your pride and Roswaal not his hope of you succeeding in the end. We will benefit both and you will be secure no matter what happens. Either you become queen and fulfil your wishes or you are a close friend of the queen who will fulfil your wishes. You cannot fail with this method.”

“...I think Roswaal would agree to this... I... accept.”

Tanya grinned and stretched our hand to shake. It was not the final decision, but with these words the half-elf had basically sealed her fate.

"Excellent. We will be a glorious team."

Chapter Text

Chapter 31

Now that she had gotten Emilia´s verbal agreement to their alliance she needed only to accomplish two more objectives:

Convince Roswaal and actually write the treaty.

Well, she hoped this wouldn’t end up being too difficult. She had experience with legal documents and knew the required formal characteristics well. Nonetheless it took a whole day for her to come up with the exact ramifications of their contract.

Normally, in a more civilized world this process would have taken weeks of careful consideration and discussion from both parties, but Tanya doubted that Emilia was familiar with such office politics. Also this allowed her to build in some loopholes that she could later chalk up as “unintentional”. Tanya truly wanted this relationship to prosper and to do that she needed trust, but always having a backup plan was a must for her.

The second she had reread her alliance proposal and checked for errors she made her way to Roswaal´s office door and knocked.

“Margrave Mathers?”

“Yes, Laaaady Degurechaff. Please enter.”

“I trust that Lady Emilia has told you about our arrangement already?”

She presented it like it was already made official. This would surely force him to comply with most of her wishes if he didn’t want to upset his chosen candidate.

“Not quite, but I have a vague ideaaaaa.”

Roswaal´s smile was slightly unsettling as always. He almost certainly knew far more than he let on which was unnerving, because Tanya never knew if she had played him or he was the one playing her. Just like that bastard Being X.

“So you do know that we both plan to work closely together in the following years in order to achieve a glorious future for Lugnica. We will share information, resources and manpower between our camps to support each other as best as we can.”

“Myyyy, how intriiiiiiiguing...” he drawled.

Tanya couldn’t help but ask herself again why this clearly competent and intelligent man had to use that stupid accent of his. It sounded absolutely retarded!

She forced a smile: “Yes. It is a marvellous idea, isn’t it? We both will be equals in this alliance who provide for each other. This way we can make sure that one of us wins the throne with near certainty. Whoever of us both gains more public support by the end of the royal selection also gains the votes of other; basically doubling their influence. A simple and fair system if I say so myself.”

Both options were good for. It was not like she actually wanted to be queen of a medieval country so she would be more than happy to hand over the responsibility to someone she could indirectly control like the half-elf. Should the state of affairs require political intervention then she could probably move “her good friend” Emilia to follow the best course of action. Otherwise she would enjoy a more comfortable position as a noble with good relations to the crown. Maybe she could become a strategist in the army? Rerugen had loved his job after all. Food for thought.

“Of course to accomplish this we need your agreement as well Roswaal. Without your cooperation we will not be able to undertake this important endeavour. Your decision is going to shape our future.”

Stroking someone´s ego to make them feel generous was a technique as old as time itself. Hopefully some good old fashioned bootlicking would do the trick to sway him to her side.

“I admit that I also seek your approval for selfish reasons.”

She tried her best to look embarrassed by sheepishly fiddling with her hands and looking down at the ground.

“My wonderful sponsor in the royal selection is Reinhard van Astrea who is not only a incredible charitable individual, but also the current sword saint. I myself have been lauded as the greatest combat mage in the world in my homeland. You see... I do not question Lady Emilia´s skills as a spirit arts user, but I must sadly say that her combat capabilities unfortunately cannot measure up to my camp. You, Margrave Mathers, on the other hand are often called “the strongest magician in Lugnica” and are certainly quite adept on the battlefield.”

Her piercing gaze met his and she smiled hoping that he got the hint.

“Indeeeed. It would only beeee fair if I participated in the bargain to properly cooooompensate you for your no doubt eeeeextraordinary abilities...”

Good. She wouldn’t have to spell it out for him.

“Yes. That was the idea. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

“More than acceptaaaaable...” he laughed creepily.

“In that case I have already prepared a document in duplicate for you to read through and sign if you agree. It details the nature of our future relationship in more detail, but it is basically nothing I haven’t told you about. Reading them will nonetheless take some time, because of all legal clauses, I am sure you understand. Perhaps I should come back in an hour or two to give you time? I wouldn’t want to pressure you in any way.”

“No, it´s quite alright. I have compleeete trust in you Lady Deguuuurechaff.”

She suppressed a grin. What fool didn’t read the contract he was about to sign? That was such an amateurish mistake to make. Didn’t he realize that the future of this country could be at stake? He couldn’t possibly already know what was written on the paper he just validated with his signature, could he? No that would be impossible.

Tanya promptly thanked Roswaal for his time and bid him farewell with two signed copies of the treaty in hand. Because the margrave was Emilia´s sponsor and de facto caretaker she technically wouldn’t need the half-elf´s acknowledgement as well, but her signature would make it more official. It would irrefutably prove that the whole Emilia camp had unanimously agreed to Tanya´s terms.

So, her next destination was her new business partner´s study. She had originally sought out Roswaal first, because it would seem rude of her to not ask the lord of the house first, but it also served the function to pressure the half-elf into agreeing should that abominable Puck manage to dissuade her from the alliance.

No! Her thoughts were too negative! Tanya tried to slip into a more positive mindset to fool the emotion-reading spirit. If looked at objectively then his protectiveness of Emilia was admirable. Really. It was a good trait that would keep her associate safe from dangerous individuals which in turn would lighten Tanya´s workload. Puck was good. Nice even.

She forced herself to smile again while she walked through the seemingly endless corridors. The sweet, benevolent upturn of her lips was so unlike her normal persona that any knowing onlooker would have fled in fear if they had seen this smile.

One knock on the door was all it took for Emilia to call out to enter.

“Ah, hello Tanya. Did the meeting with Roswaal go well?”

“He agreed rather enthusiastically. Here see for yourself.”

She handed her the signed contract.

“Would you please grace me with your signature as well?"

“Lia, shouldn’t you read it first?” said the - lovely - spirit.

“The margrave already gave his consent, but if you doubt me and his judgement then go on and read the treaty thoroughly. I will be back in an hour, because I do not wish to sit here idle and twiddle my thumps during the duration of your study.”

If the trick had worked on Roswaal who was a far more conniving individual than Emilia then she could try it her too. Implying that the act of checking the contract was not only a breach of trust, but also boring would hopefully be enough to deter the girl from trying. Even Tanya herself had not always been immune to such guilt-tripping. (Only if her adjutant had used her adorable puppy-eyes had she fallen to the temptation. It was hard to say ´no´ to Visha.)

“Oh, no! Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” she cried followed by the furious scratching of a quill on paper.

The girl was so pathetically easy to manipulate that she couldn’t help but intensify her smile. The slipup from angelic to predatory only lasted a few heartbeats, but was noticeable to any perceptive observer.

She imagined that the currently invisible Puck was glaring at her in this moment, but he obviously didn’t interfere or else Emilia would have stopped putting her signature under the document. What a relief. Still, it was not good that she had to depend on the – wonderful – spirit´s complacency. Beatrice would surely know of a way to protect one´s mind against spirits. Immediately after this whole ordeal was over Tanya would need to ask her.

Indeed it took only a short conversation and a warm handshake to seal the deal after which she excused herself again and went to her room. It was done! The alliance was officially made and she had secured herself not only the help of the court magician Margrave Mathers, but also basically unlimited access to the Forbidden Library and two great spirits! Her odds of survival were going up! A time for celebration would come later though, at the Astrea mansion.

“Ah, Rem! Good to see you. I was wondering if you knew where I could find Subaru? I am in need of his assistance in finding the library again.”

“As far as I know Subaru decided to go to the village earlier, Lady Degurechaff. He wanted to play with the kids one last time before we depart to the capital tomorrow.”

“Mmh, that is troublesome. Also you said ´we´? Will you accompany us?”

“Yes, Milady. Rem shall drive the coach.”

“Two coaches? There is no need. Subaru can ride with me. Seeing as both our camps are now in an alliance I am going to provide the means of transportation for his return of course.”

“I am terribly sorry Lady Degurechaff, but those were Lord Roswaal´s orders. Also with which carriage do you plan to depart in anyway?”

“With my own of course. The one I came here with.”

“Pardon this Milady, but it seems as if the driver that brought you here has not returned from the capital as of now.”

Indeed. Or else he would have reported to her already. What was going on? Her instructions had clearly been for him to return the day before her departure. Well, the day wasn’t over yet so maybe he was just late and would show up soon. Nonetheless was it good to plan for the eventuality that he didn’t return from the capital altogether.

“Then I am to assume that I will be travelling with you should my servant not show up here in time?” asked Tanya.

“Yes, that is correct Milady. Rem will deliver you home as per her master’s orders.”

Speaking of yourself in third person was never a good sign. Tanya hoped that the poor girl had no personality disorder.

“How perceptive of Roswaal to notice the absence of my staff before me. I am glad that he keeps such a close eye on my wellbeing. Give him my thanks.”

Inwardly she was fuming. Had the man arranged for her driver to disappear on the way here? Was this a elaborate trap for him to get rid of her? Tanya could already imagine dozens of scenarios in which Rem “accidentally” drove the carriage away from the main road deep into the woods and tried to assassinate her there away from any potential witnesses.

But no. That would make no sense. He had just agreed to their alliance and had no reason to make an enemy out of one of his most important allies. Killing her now was foolish and extremely dangerous. If he wanted to finish her off then he would do so himself. Only powerful magic really worked against powerful magic after all. Such an important duty would not be left to a mere maid and a childish butler.

Maybe he wanted her to know that he was in control of their relationship by demonstrating that she was at his mercy. If so then she was not impressed. Should he be the culprint behind the disappearance of her driver then he would pay for that. Wasting human resources like that was unforgivable. 

Before Irlam village was even visible to her she already heard Subaru´s voice. 

“Victory!” he shouted.

“VICTORY!” answered the crowd.

“And don’t forget to do this every morning! Radio calisthenics is important to keep your bodies healthy and your minds focused. When I hear that you have diligently followed my instructions then I will even bring you a gift from the capital! It will be super cool!”

“Yaaayyy!” howled the kids that surrounded him in apparent glee. For this backwater village the largest city in Lugnica was probably an exotic place.

Physical training was indeed an important part in keeping yourself in shape and enshouring optimal work efficiency. Even in her first life as a salaryman she had exercised daily to stay fit and minimize sick days. A healthy mind needed a healthy body. Long years of sitting behind a desk and working on a computer back then had prevented her from ever becoming "buff", (as Neumann would have called it) but she had been not unmuscular. Of course that had been when she still had a male body so it had been easier to get strong in contrast to being a malnourished little girl. Course you Being X!

If Suabru understood this then perhaps they could get along better than anticipated.

“Hello Subaru. Are you finished with your business here?”

“Oh, hey Tanya! Yes, I am. Nice of you to visit me. I knew you couldn’t go a single day without me!”

Perhaps not.

“No. I require your help in finding the Forbidden Library. Again.”

“Oh? And you walked all the way out here just to fetch me? I don’t know if I believe that.” he teased.

“What other option did I have? Opening every door in the mansion is hardly a better alternative.”

“Really? I am flattered that you trust my ability to find her so much, but have you not asked Beako how the door crossing works?”

“No? What does that have to do with anything.

He looked at her like she was stupid. She didn’t like that. It made her wish to bring out her shovel.

“Beako is connected to every door in the mansion. She can feel them all! If you want to talk with her then you just need to open one and ask her to put a portal there, you know?”

She gave him a long, deadpan stare before she finally broke the suffocating silence.

“Really.”

Her tone was so completely flat and not amused that Subaru visibly cringed away from her.

“Y-Yes.”

All secrecy and subtly be damned she suddenly pushed mana into her computation jewel and took off like a flash of lightning, leaving a shaken Subaru in the dust.

Chapter Text

Chapter 32

The day of parting had come. After a night of copying as many books from the library as possible with a combination of her computation jewel and good old-fashioned notes Tanya was rather exhausted. An old saying in the command staff had been:
“Sleep is only for the dead. So better work hard and earn your right to die.”

While she had never fully agreed with the sentiment, because proper rest was essential for a good work mentality, she could understand where the other officers had been coming from. She certainly felt like dying after two nights without sleep. This got only worse with each day that passed without coffee. When breakfast was served she would have gladly sacrificed an ear or a finger for just a single cup, but alas this underdeveloped, barbaric, unenlightened country had not been blessed by the wonders of caffeine yet. No doubt Being X was resposible to spite her.

It was no wonder that as a result of all these unfortunate factors she barely registered the heartfelt farewells from a certain half-elf. Emilia´s tearful separation from Subaru went also unnoticed by the grumpy Tanya. The worst part of the morning though, was that her driver had still not shown up. A highly suspicious event that made her extremely uneasy. Thanks to her missing coacher she needed to drive in Roswaal´s carriage just like Rem had predicted yesterday. The whole affair just reeked of a thinly veiled assassination plot, but she had no choice but to comply, because Roswaal had made it quite clear that he wished for her to leave now and straining their budding relationship so soon was not an option.

Her two bodyguards helped with stowing away her belongings on the carriage. Tanya had honestly kind of forgotten these two even existed, considering that she hadn’t needed them for anything and they had stayed mostly in their room. Regardless of their actual usefulness though, having a meat-shield just in case was always good.

One of them positioned himself on the back of the carriage and the other on the front besides Rem. Officially this served the purpose to make more space indoors for her and Subaru, but her real reason had been to provide her with a lookout on the road behind them and a surveillance of the blue-haired driver. After the mysterious disappearance of her original coacher she was understandably paranoid. Well, more paranoid then usual.

With the last of her energy she put on a (what she liked to call) “salesman-smile” and thanked her business partners for the stay, before she boarded the carriage and dozed off as soon as they left the gates. Her fellow passenger, Subaru, wouldn’t have noticed this though, because she remained seated upright and had an illusionary formula layered over her eyes to look like they were open. This useful trick had saved her many times during “important” staff meetings in the past when she had been forced to attend after just dropping out of an active combat zone. Sometimes a fifteen minute power-nap was all it took to restore a minimum of much needed energy and she could record and replay everything that was said during her sleep anyway, so it wasn’t like she missed anything by doing so.

Yes, it was dangerous for her to sleep inside the carriage that she suspected to be a trap, but she was pretty certain that Roswaal would not let anything incriminating happen to while on his territory. Subaru was also a negligible threat that she didn’t need to worry about. He was a soft boy form an industrialized age of reason and progress, so he wouldn’t resort to random murder all of a sudden. He had no weapons on him anyway. She checked. Nonetheless, she slept with her strongest passive barrier activated. You never knew when someone decided to snipe you from a distance or drop a bomb on your head after all.

Afterwards she felt a little bit better and decided to engage her temporary companion in conversation to form more of a personal connection with him. His knowledge and access to Emilia made him valuable enough to spend her time on him despite his annoyingly unprofessional behaviour. Dealing with real children without either a propaganda camera team or a gun on hand was not her strong suit.

“And then the massive beast stared at me like it was gonna eat me, but I still had a trick up my sleeve. I cast my last Shamak and jumped just in time to...”

Suddenly Subaru stopped mid sentence and became deathly still. His once joyful eyes glazed over and he began to shake.

“What´s wrong Subaru? Can you hear me?” she asked in worry.

When he didn’t respond her reflexes took over and she instinctually fell back into combat mode. Tanya had seen this look of shock and distress on the faces of many young recruits. Whatever trauma had gotten ahold of the boy warranted immediate treatment.

“Come back to me soldier! Focus on me! Yes. Now look me in the eyes and follow my instructions. I am here and I can help. Breathe in slowly, just like that, and breathe out. You are doing fine. Keep focused soldier! Calm breaths! And stay focused!”

“What is going on back there, Lady Degurechaff? Is Subaru alright? Should I stop the carriage?” asked a distraught Rem from the outside.

“Everything is under control. He just had a panic attack. There is not much that we can do for him right now, so I am going to find out what caused this.”

She gripped Subaru´s hand while still fixating his gaze with her own.

“Subaru, if you understand me please nod.”

He nodded slowly with his empty eyes still staring unblinking into the distance.

One thought and a myriad of micro-calculations was all it took for her to produce a small, bright light on her fingertip which she used to test his pupil-afference. This was standard medical procedure to check the responsiveness of the optical nerves and by extension the nervous system as a whole. So far his irises contracted adequately when she exposed them to the light. Physically he seemed to be fine.

“Can you tell me what just happened?”

“N-Nothing to worry about. I just had a... very bad dream.” he answered lamely.

Tanya frowned. She needed his honesty to assess what was wrong with him. It would be extremely troubling after all if a servant of her business partner suffered a mental breakdown while in her care. That would reflect badly on her overall competence.

“You need to tell me Subaru. Keeping quiet about your problems makes the mess others have to clean up later only worse. You wouldn’t want to burden your superior like that, would you?”

“Emilia-tan?”

“Yes. I am sure she would want you talk about your problems. She seems like that kind of girl.”

Truthfully, Tanya couldn’t care less about the aches and pains of the boy in front of her at the moment (she was way too tired for that), but emotionally manipulating him into opening up would only benefit her in the long run.

“Ehm...”

Abruptly his expression of confusion shifted quickly to one of horror and then of determination. How intriguing.

“Oh... yes... I remember now. Tanya, something terrible will happen soon and we need to be prepared for it. In guess that in... about half an hour we will reach a fogbank and there is something inside...”

Subaru shuddered.

“And how do you know that? That seems awfully precise for a guess.”

“Well... I can´t really talk about it...”

“Can´t or won´t?”

“I... can not.” he reluctantly stated.

He appeared comletely sincere which was strange.

“Is it like a curse?”

“Yes. Every time I try to tell someone about it, it feels like my heart is going to explode.”

The magic in this world was retarded! If not surprisingly useful. Perhaps she could curse her subordinates as well to force them into secrecy? It sounded unethical, but very effective.

“So this happens more often.”

“...Yes.”

“Can you see the future?”

It was the only logical conclusion, regardless of how asinine it may appear at first glace.

“...In a sense... Yes. Yes I can see the future.”

That was incredible! Tanya was now more glad than ever to have the Emilia camp on her side. This was a unbelievably powerful ability to have at your disposal. Even she would be hard-pressed to compete against a foe who could accurately divine the future. How that was even possible in the first place was anyone´s guess. Being X for all his supposed power had never been able to do so after all. Otherwise he would have noticed long ago that he wouldn’t be able to break her.

All of that was of course only correct if Subaru spoke the truth and was not simply lying or hallucinating. She had met enough raving madmen in her last life and didn’t need more. No thanks.

“If I give you the benefit of the doubt here and choose to believe what you are saying then that means that you just saw half an hour into the future where we travelled through some fog and met something or someone inside, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Do you have perhaps more details?”

“Ehm... There was a giant eye and then whatever it was it was gonna eat us! And you made a huge explosion, but it was still going. It... It almost looked like a really creepy whale? A white one.”

“The White Whale?!” screamed a guard from outside.

Out of two things which disappointed Tanya in this moment she knew not which was more of a disgrace: That the carriage walls offered no privacy or that her own bodyguards possessed so little self-control.

If the description of a white whale could drive the normally stoic men into such frenzy then the beast must have quite the cultural significance. What could inspire a reaction of fear like this?

Oh, no! She had read about the three demon beasts that periodically plagued Lugnica, but she had written them off as an overdramatized legend. One of them was the White Whale Hakugei who was said to live within a dreadful fog. Everything matched Subaru´s description perfectly.

“Do you know what else the monster did? After I caused the, quote on quote, ´huge explosion´?”

“It could fly, I think. Because you were evading it in the sky and it followed you up.”

“A flying whale does indeed sound ridiculous, but it makes somewhat sense. How else would the beast move over the land without legs?”

“But that´s not everything. I-I am not sure about this... but I believe it wasn’t only one whale. I mean in one moment it was alone, but after the smoke had cleared from your explosion it looked like there were three of them.”

Now that made matters much worse. If a beast that couldn’t be killed for four hundred years was not already bad enough then they stood no chance against three of them.

“We have to stop the carriage!” yelled a guard as if mirroring her thoughts to which the other responded: “This is suicide!”

Tanya leaned out of the window and created an optical formula to enhance her eyesight. A holographic display of green numbers and lines formed in front of her face and focused on a spot in the distance. A gigantic wall of white mist was indeed obscuring the horizon and approached them rapidly.

“Rem can you please turn the coach around. We are going back to the mansion.”

“I fear that is impossible without stopping Milady. The road is much too narrow for that.”

“What´s the problem. If we just stop and slowly turn around then that shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Lady Degurechaff, the Divine Protection of wind evasion will not be able to be used again by this ground dragon if we were to interrupt his run. We would have to travel at a much slower pace for several hours before he can recharge it.”

So, the choice was either to turn around at a comparatively glacial speed and hope that Hakugei wouldn’t catch up with them or keep going in its direction. Wonderful.

“Subaru, did we make it out alive?” she whispered in order to not frighten the guards.

“I have no clue... At least I didn’t.” he said gloomily.

Tanya couldn’t afford to lose such a valuable resource. Not now when she had just discovered his incredible potential. With his help she could discern threats before they even became reality. Subaru was invaluable. To save him she needed more information.

“How big was the explosion you saw me create?”

“Pretty big. Like at least a dozen meters in diameter.”

That meant she had been serious in Subaru´s vision, but it had apparently not been enough. Had she been desperate enough to...? No, hopefully not. She had to find out.

“Did anything unusual happen before I cast that spell?”

“No? You just... flew up and shot at it.”

That was a relief. Sadly, she hadn’t brought her gun. Only her pistol could be used as a catalyst for her magic. As a result she practically had no ranged combat options. Tanya would need to fight tooth and nail if she wanted to accomplish the impossible. Her mental boosters kicked in and her bloodstream was flooded with artificial drugs. The only visible sign that she was nearly overloading her brain with enhancement magic was that her eyes began to glow an eerie cerulean blue.

A small eternity of six seconds was all it took for her to work out a strategy. This was going to suck, but she now had a plan of action.

"Rem, drive as fast as you can! We are going through the fog. I have plan."

Chapter Text

Chapter 33

Tanya knew that they probably stood no chance against the monster which had been a constant source of gruesome legends for generations. Rumoured to be the spawn of the jealous witch sent to torment the good people of Lugnica it remained undefeated for centuries. Despite not even having to do with the thematic of the respective chapter she had read multiple times about the White Whale in the history books as a allegory for certain defeat. If a fully prepared army could not defeat such a creature then her probability of success practically equalled zero.

Luckily she wouldn’t need to kill it to achieve what she was going for.

It was, at the end of the day when you took everything into consideration, just an animal. A large, magical and extremely dangerous animal... but an animal nonetheless. And animals followed basic instincts that could be predicted. What could be predicted could be influenced. And what could be influenced could be manipulated. That at least was the basis of her main plan and she was relatively sure she could pull it off. Her expertise was fighting huge groups of human targets, both on land and in the air which was far different from what she was now attempting, but The White Silver, The Ace of Aces, The Angel of the Empire was anything if not adaptable.

The greatest problem in her strategy was that Subaru had foreseen three of them at once. Distracting and "mock engaging" one beast was difficult enough, but handling three of them would be almost impossible. Almost.

“Ram can you cast magic?” she asked.

“Yes Milady. I am proficient enough with water spells.”

“Good. Can you heal?”

“Yes, but only minor wounds. I unfortunately never really got to train the healing arts.”

“It will be enough.” assured Tanya.

She checked her equipment once more to make sure everything was at its right place. Spare bullets, magazines, her pistol, the cutlass, her combat knife and multiple other miscellaneous items. Good. Now began phase one.

“Listen up everybody. I have no time to explain, but I know what I am doing. Despite how miserable our situation seems I can promise you that you are nowhere as safe as with me.”

She couldn’t promise that in fact, but morale had to be upheld somehow to keep this impromptu team functioning. Lying to your troops before battle could end up poorly, but history had shown it to be an effective tool most of the time.

“Our mission appears hopeless, but I have fought against worse odds singlehandedly and come out on top. If you follow my orders then I will guide you to safety. It will not be easy, but we all are going home if you can trust me on this.”

This was also a lie. In case of an emergency she was perfectly prepared to sacrifice her two guards as bait. They were expendable. Reinhard would not be happy, but it would ultimately be easier to explain than the loss of her ally’s subordinates. 

Not letting anyone voice their doubts she quickly continued: “Turning tail and fleeing is impossible as I have no estimation of how fast we could accomplish that. Either we would manage to escape and possibly lead the monster to the Mathers domain or the fog would catch up to us anyway. By continuing forward at full speed we will pass through the mist as fast as possible. The only problem? The White Whale is in there.”

If the strange mist had any similarities to naturally occurring fog then it would not only impede vision but muffle sound as well. The whale would need to rely on another form of orientation to find prey and direct its movement to it. Most logical would either be a keen sense of smell or a mana sensing ability similar to one of her formulae. (It was a magical creature after all so nothing was impossible.)

Identifying and subsequently triangulating the exact position of a mana signature had been standard procedure back in the Empire. Even the François had been able to do it so an animal should have no problem.

Because both these potential senses were rather vague the beast would search out the bigger, more delectable source if it had to choose between to targets. Radiating excess mana and dousing herself in blood would make her the more alluring victim in the White Whale´s mind which would hopefully keep the beasts from immediately going after the carriage.

“Now I am going to fly a few hundred meters away and distract the whale. I will silence a few parts of the carriage as best as I can, but the spells will not hold for long, so be quiet and slow down under no circumstances. Winfred and Tog, you are going to relocate inside the cabin and keep the windows closed. Don’t talk, don’t sob. Avoid all noise.”

The last part was especially important so she made sure to stare Subaru deep in the eyes when she said it. For some reason he looked offended.

Keeping the noise of the driving coach to a minimum was a task as important as it was difficult. The sheer mana expenditure of holding up several spells over long distances was enormous, but necessary. In a normal, hour-long tactical engagement it would have been unthinkable to waste energy like that, but these were far from normal circumstances. If nothing went wrong (as it always did) then they would cross the fog before her mana ran out.

“Rem, if I tell you to drive right you will change course as fast as possible. If I tell you to drive left the same applies. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Lady Degurechaff.” came the composed response from the maid. That girl had seemingly more backbone than her own bodyguards. Maybe she should hire her, but the Margrave was unlikely to part with such an excellent servant.

“If I do not return after you leave the fog then don’t wait for me. I can take care of myself and fly back to the capital if I have to. Do not stop until the ground dragon feints from exhaustion.”

Tanya did not wait for acknowledgement before she opened the door and flung herself outside. What would have been a potentially lethal jump for any normal person was nothing to worry about for a trained aerial mage of her calibre. Years worth of instincts kicked in and stabilized her mid air even though the wind dragged heavily at her deceptively diminutive form.

With a boost in power that created a small shockwave behind her she took off in the direction of the rapidly approaching mist. Meanwhile her fingernail flickered and extended into a tiny, bright glowing cutting edge.

Carefully, in order to not cut too deep with her razor-sharp mage-blade, she skimmed over the surface of her skin and opened up shallow wounds all over her body. Blood flowed freely and ruined her tattered clothing further. A pity. She had liked the shirt. At the current rate that her heart was pumping she calculated that she would suffer from symptoms of anaemia in twenty-three minutes and fourteen seconds. More than enough time to get the job done hopefully.

Of course her enhanced metabolism as a mage meant that her blood already had began to clog and she would need to reopen fresh lacerations in a few minutes to prevent the old ones from healing, but it was good to stay safe. Dying from self-inflicted wounds after all the tribulations she had been through would be a cosmic joke that she wouldn’t grant Being X.

Now she properly reeked of blood and her high man output would make her even more noticeable. If she hadn’t grossly miscalculated then she would be irresistible for the beast.

Maybe a bit of auditory stimulation would also be beneficial?

“WHERE ARE YOU MONSTER? DO YOU CRAVE HUMAN FLESH? DON´T LET MY APPEARANCE FOOL YOU! I AM THE TASTIEST ONE AROUND!”

It sounded lamer than she had initially though, but the White Whale most likely couldn’t understand her flimsy taunts anyway. Everything that mattered was that she was loud and smelled appetizing. Luring it a good distance away was top priority and then the real fun could begin.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subaru was more than a little afraid and with good reason. Apparently this White Whale was an even bigger deal than he thought and seemed nigh invulnerable. Not to mention that the terrible beast had already killed him once and the strongest person at the moment was not here to protect him!

Well, dying was a far less scary prospect for him than any other person in the world, but that didn´t make it any less uncomfortable. If worst came to worst he could simply restart and try something different. It was a blessing as much as a curse, because he was confronted with his mistakes again and again. Why did he have to be so powerless? Why did he have to be so weak?

He scowled at his inability to fight that stupid whale. Now Tanya had to go out there and save his sorry ass, because he was too weak! He should be the hero of this story and face all problems head on, but instead he ran away like a little child. It was simply not fair! Everybody saw him as a nuisance.

By now his fear had turned into rage. He was angry at the whale, at the world and mostly at himself.

He would be no longer useless! He would impress Emilia and show the world that Subaru Natsuki was not a pushover! He would not let them down any more!

In that moment all he could think about was his blinding fury and reason or self-preservation no longer mattered to him. His mind fell into a frenzy of negative emotions which led to a decision that would alter the course of the fight.

In a heartbeat he was up from his seat and rushed to the door of the carriage. With all his desperation and anger he nearly ripped the handle off as he opened it and leaped into the open. And then...

Pain.

As it turns out jumping out of a fast moving vehicle onto hard ground was not a pleasant experience. He couldn´t help but whimper in agony for a few moments before he mustered enough strength to stand up. Every bone in his body seemed to ache and he was sore everywhere. All in all a typical day for Subaru. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The carriage had already disappeared in the thick white fog that was surrounding him and everything was eerily silent. It felt like the whole world had been swallowed by the milky miasma and he was all alone...

Slowly doubts were beginning to form in Subaru´s mind. Fear resurfaced and cleared the haze of irrational anger away to reveal a growing list of second thoughts. Maybe this had not been such a great idea after all?

Indeed it hadn´t as the tomblike silence was ripped apart by a ear-piercing screech and intelligible yelling. What was going on?

Now that he had probably already doomed himself he was going to investigate. Information would be the key to defeating the monster next time, he was sure of it. Maybe he could even be useful and aid Tanya in whatever she was doing.

Again and again the horrible screech nearly forced him to his knees, but he was coming closer. He wouldn´t give up now! Although it was pretty difficult to find the location of the battle, because he could barely see his own feet in the mist.

Suddenly though everything became quiet again and he feared for the worst. Had Tanya lost? Was she killed? Where even was she?

That question got answered as subtly as if god himself had extended his finger and pointed at her location. Golden light pierced the fog and seemed to nearly split the heavens themselves. Brilliant radiance exploded with such brightness that he had to avert his eyes even with the mist obscuring the land around. It was so overwhelming that fell to floor in pure awe at the power that was consuming everything in his vicinity.

Subaru wouldn’t have been surprised if someone on the moon could see whatever was happening in front of him.

Interlude 2

Far off in the depth of the far reaches of space, in a particularly chaotic junction of the infinite multiverse an entity only called “Being X” by his most ardent detractor, was seething. His lost lamb, his little atheist was still missing and he had found no lead on her whereabouts. Who had stolen her away? Who dared to ruin his favourite pet-project?

He raged in fury and indignation about her unexpected disappearance so much that he was practically unaware of the time he wasted on his mad quest. His own worlds remained unattended and millions of souls were denied passage to the afterlife, because he was not there to reincarnate or otherwise process them.

Instead he had spoken with countless other gods and creatures that exceeded mortal imagination and asked them for help in his feverish search, but most of them had simply ignored him. They would all pay for their disrespect! (Like Aqua who had just plugged in earphones and watched some terrible TV show instead of listening to his extremely important massage.) Kos of the Great Deep Sea had at least tried to be of use to him, but her very nature was incomprehensible even for him and her “words” had only confused him further. Truth had nearly been equally as cryptic and on top demanded a price for his services! Laughable! Didn´t he know who he was talking to? Being X was far too great to be charged with prices like a simple human! The insolence...

And so he aimlessly scoured the multiverse, throwing world after world into chaos and peril when he looked under every leaf and stone to find his rightful possession. Although no matter how hard he looked he could never find his plaything. Even his near infinite patience was running thin and he was secretly considering giving up for a while when he suddenly felt a familiar sensation tugging at the edge of his perception.

There it was.

His glorious power that he had graciously bestowed upon the ungrateful mortal was being used and he could feel it. With great haste he threw the world he was currently inspecting away into the eternal abyss and rushed to the origin of the feeling.

It was a magical world governed by a crystal called the Od Laguna, but he couldn’t care less. What could a measly crystal of magical energy do against him, the perfect existence? There were also other powerful entities present, but he wasted no time on studying their pitiful lives. Compared to him they were (of course) nothing .

With a ripple in reality foretelling his arrival he descended upon the heavenly plane of this world and searched for the traces of his energy. A few moments of concentration was all it took for his divine mind to comprehend the entire geography of the planet and track his little nonbeliever down. Now he had her back! She was his once again! Oh, he couldn’t wait to make her pay for all the trouble she had caused him! Suffering for a million years would not be enough to appease him.

Just as Being X was preparing to pluck her from this world again and bring her back to his domain something unexpected happened. He couldn´t do it.

What?

He tried to do anything at all...

And he failed to move even a nanometre.

What in his holy name was happening?

Only now did he realize that the entire world seemed to have stopped moving. Like when he communicated with lost lamb, but this wasn’t supposed to happen to him. He was a god! He was above such petty tricks to awe mortals! Why couldn’t he move?

Deep purple shadows were beginning to slowly encroach on him and practically oozed pure malevolence. They were darker and deeper than anything he had expected from this unimpressive world. He had to admit he had not expected anything here to challenge him.

“...YoU CaN noT Be alLoWeD to RuIn mY pLAnS...” whispered a surprisingly beautiful but at the same time distorted voice directly into his mind. His skin would have crawled if he had any.

“And why is that? Who does so boldly speak to me?”

No response. He got angry.

“The little human is mine and only mine!”

“...sHe nEedS tO HelP mY BelOvEd...”

“I want her back! You are nothing to me! Leave me alone before I obliterate you!” he screamed in equal parts unease and irritation.

“...I wiLl NoT PerMiT thAt...”

Suddenly a second, more youthful voice chimed in and seemed to address the first one. It appeared to be female in origin as well.

 “My, how interesting. You are after Tanya, right?”

“Free me! I am a god! You are not even worthy of my attention! Tremble and bow bef...”

“The false god was silent.” she calmly stated as if fate had already decided that outcome and to his growing horror he found himself unable to speak.

“See? Much better now. Leave it to me Satella. You don´t need to worry about him messing with your beloved anymore.”

“...bEtTEr KiLl hiM nOw...”

The girl sighed and emotionlessly said: “The witch of envy was back in the Pleiades watchtower and had never encountered or noticed this false god here.”

From one moment to the next the dark, shadowy presence was gone as if she had never been there to begin with.

“So what do I do with you now... Being X?” she asked with unnerving gentleness.

In this moment he realized that he should have let the atheist go and forgot about the whole affair altogether when he had the chance. This was not worth it! For the first time in his existence Being X was afraid. And rightfully so.

Chapter Text

Chapter 34

She had begged for the monster to show itself and it heeded her call. Barely a few seconds after her entering the fog and screaming for the beast to get her, a giant object pushed through her detection spell with astounding speed. Something as big as a whale was easy to pick up on with a simple sensory formula, but the downside of that size was that in just a few moments it had already traversed half of her effective range.

At least Tanya felt satisfied with her hypothesis that the White Whale oriented itself via smell or mana sensing. Due to her moving through the mist at moderate speed it should have been impossible for the monster to track her, but so it did. Just where were the other two that Subaru had told her about? Were they hiding? Or worse, were they working together to ambush her?

The last possibility implied an uncomfortable level of intelligence and skill from the creatures. She would need to be extra cautious. For now she could use the isolation of the first whale to her advantage.

Tanya had no hopes of actually killing the monster so weakening and incapacitating it were her goals instead. To do so she would attempt to cripple its mobility first and then ground it for a while before she did the same to the other two creatures. With some luck they would even come out of hiding to aid their wounded comrade. On the flip-side, this would become a problem fast if there were in fact more than three whales.

With its impressive velocity the creature was closing in on her position fast, so she decided to test his willingness to pursue her. While loudly chanting the imperial anthem she turned at a seemingly physics-defying angle and flew straight up. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that the dark shape in the fog was still following her with apparently no difficulty.

Its current speed correlated to roughly fifty percent of her maximum speed so she would be able to outmanoeuvre it at close range easily. Not to mention that she was a small target to hit.

Deciding to surprise the beast a bit she promptly changed direction again and flew directly towards it. In one smooth motion she unsheathed her black cutlass and channelled mana through the shimmering blade.

“Let´s see how well you bleed.” she grinned.

An unintended side effect of the artificial combat drugs that she was pumping through her system was a heightened bloodlust. Moreover, this got worsened because she didn’t have to hold back, due to her foe being an animal. No human rights or martial laws applied to this situation to limit her (not that that had ever stopped her before). Those kinds of regulations didn’t even exist in this world! She had checked.

Closing in rapidly on her target she readied her blade and dodged at the last moment with a burst of flight magic. While she avoided the gaping maw of the giant creature she made eye contact with it.

Its big, strangely expressive eye was an obvious weak spot and she showed no mercy as she drove her blade straight through the middle. Blood and vitreous fluid splashed her front as she opened the eye up from one end to another.

A scream of rage and pain followed. From her close proximity to its mouth her eardrums were nearly blown apart had she not reflexively deafened herself to the noise with a formula, like she had done with thousands of explosions before.

Seeing as her slash had achieved moderate success she continued with her attack. Reinforced blows cut through the whale´s hide like butter and blood sprayed in comically large volumes. Tanya idly wondered how high the beast´s blood pressure must be to produce such fountains of life fluid.

She struck again and again and again until its body was littered in shallow lacerations. Regardless how much the creature tried to turn and twist, its large body was unable to reach the much more mobile aerial mage assaulting it from all side.

Honestly, so far this creature had not provided a decent challenge. As much as he detested senseless violence all the years of constant warfare had etched themselves into her mind and changed her. Rationally she tried to avoid combat as much as possible, but now there was a tiny part of her that immensely enjoyed a good fight and thirsted for challenge. Killing and risking her life had never been pleasant, but it was nearly all she could remember. One could perhaps call it a habit or a tradition.

This whole affair was taking too long. Bleeding it out would waste precious minutes. The other two whales had not revealed themselves and were possibly already hunting the carriage. She had hoped to lure them to her location, but luck was apparently not on her side today. Only overwhelming force was an option at this point. Without her rifle this meant one thing.

Tanya really didn’t want to use it...

But she had no choice.

Not anymore if she wanted to incapacitate the beast for at least a little while. Subaru had foreseen her using a “normal” explosion against the whale and in his vision it turned out to be ineffective. Armed with this knowledge it would be the height of foolishness to attempt something similar again and expect different results. The definition of insanity postulated so.

Still, nothing could be as revolting, as demeaning, as utterly disgusting for Tanya as giving into the alluring curse of her supernatural tormentor. It went against her very being to pray to such a repulsive entity, but this time she had absolutely no choice. With a thought the flow of mana switched from her Type 97 to her Type 95 and the accursed orb above her chest began to glow.

As always the treacherous words came easy to her. Too easy. As if she had been born to say them out loud. She wanted to retch.

“Have faith brothers and sisters!”

A familiar, sickening glow spread through her entire being and filled her mind with poisonous cotton candy.

“Our salvation is near.”

The words dripped like sweet acid from her tongue and she had to fight for every moment of lucidity.

“No man can stand against our might!”

Righteous wrath for the enemies of god exploded inside her and the feeling of the implanted emotion sickened her.

“And no beast can survive our wrath!”

It felt like she was floating. Pure golden holiness radiated from her body and she seemed to detach more and more from what was happening in front of her eyes. The whole world was being swallowed by a golden radiance.

“For the Lord is with us”

Yes! It felt so good. God was so wonderful to grace her with even a fraction of his unimaginable power. She needed to thank him more. Pray to him more! Show him her honest worship. He was the rapturous core of her entire existence! She was nothing without him. He would never abandon her and she loved it.

“Till the end of time.”

An invisible dam was bursting inside her and a wave - no - a tsunami of energy was bursting forth, cleansing the impure, tainted abomination in front of her. The creature was an affront to his divine right to rule all sinners! Only he and his followers had the right to spread death and misery, for he was almighty and all-knowing. It was his right! His!

The heretical beast let out an ear piercing shriek and Tanya laughed in unadulterated bliss.

“Ha Ha Hahahahahaha!”

She was the force that would bring judgement to the sinners and reward the faithful, for god was with her.

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When the miniature sun in front of him began to shrink Subaru lifted the hand from his eyes in wonder what he was seeing. Never had he experienced anything comparable to the sheer might that had just occurred before him. Even as the light slowly vanished he could still see the white afterimage that had burned itself into his retina.

He blinked the temporary blindness away and stared at the now fogless area. A strong gust of wind must have cleared the field, but he nonetheless couldn´t see anything out of the ordinary. Just patches of dirt and grass as far as he could see.

Suddenly a gigantic boulder dropped from the sky and smashed into the earth, raising a dust cloud. What was happening? Subaru was highly confused.

“Tanya? Are you there?” he shouted as loud as he could.

 “Greetings Subaru! Isn´t today a wonderful day to punish those that sin against the lord´s creation?” she asked while floating down to meet him.

Like an angel a voice in his mind supplied. He was glad that she was okay, but her manic voice sent a shiver down his spine. Gone was the reserved, factual voice that Tanya typically used and instead it was replaced with an uncharacteristically giddy and cheerful tone which for some reason sounded rather sinister.

“W-What?” he stuttered trying to comprehend the situation.

“Do you not see it? Our good god has mercifully bestowed a miracle upon us to smite this abomination and as always his divine light strikes true! Hahaha”

Subaru looked where she was gesturing at and noticed the slowly dissolving boulder. No...

Rocks generally didn’t do that and now that he looked closer the object didn’t appear to be stone either. It was charred, roasted... flesh. He almost vomited when he realized that these had to be the burned remains of the White Whale. Had Tanya´s magic done that? Based on her satisfied grin it seemed likely.

Another shiver ran down his back. How powerful was she?

And more importantly, what had happened to her?

Never before had she shown this twisted smile, the crazy giggling and those golden eyes. Subaru was pretty sure that her eye colour had been blue an hour ago. Hopefully she would turn back to normal soon, because the new Tanya was creepy.

Tanya´s joyful voice interrupted his increasingly worried thoughts.

“But my work is not finished yet. It appears as if its foul siblings have decided to come and be purged as well. So be it!”

She pointed at the sky were two large shadows were clumsily drifting through the air. The other two whales as Subaru understood immediately.

One of them looked to be barely clinging to life with a huge chunk of his body missing and scorch marks extending from his tail up to his mouth. The other appeared to be in slightly better shape, but had clearly suffered grievous wounds as well if its blackened head was anything to go by.

“Thank the lord for his grace Subaru! Be thankful and pray!”

Still cackling with joyful laughter she rocketed into the sky towards the two crippled creatures. Subaru would have felt sympathy for them had the White Whale not killed him in his last loop.

Not wanting to gaze upon the bloody spectacle above he turned his sight on the land around him. He slowly turned his head and came abruptly to a stop when he noticed the great accumulation of mounted soldiers a kilometre away staring in his direction.

Was that an army? Were the hell had all these soldiers come from? Were they here to help?

So many questions and only one way to find out. Tanya seemed to be distracted with the fight in the air above so she would without a doubt appreciate it if he went and collected some information. He would finally do something useful! Otherwise the painful jump out of the carriage and the expected admonishment from Rem would have been for nothing.

With resolve in his heart and determination in his soul he made his way over to the lady in front of the soldiers who looked to be in charge. She would surely know what the matter with the small army behind her was.

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Crusch had a splendid day so far. Finally she would secure her standing in the royal selection once and for all! She was of course convinced that she would make for objectively the best candidate who would help Lugnica the most, but she was not so arrogant to think that victory would come easy. Oh no! Her claim to the throne would need to be earned through much sweat and blood. Only because of her effort would she prove her worthiness to the people.

So, to show her military might and tactical expertise she had vowed to destroy an ancient evil that plagued the land since four hundred years ago. What better way was there to endear herself to the hearts of the populace than to rid them of one of their most feared nightmares? The White Whale had even managed to defeat the previous swordsaint which had increased its formidable to almost god levels of strength. This beast was a seemingly insurmountable danger...

But Crusch would demonstrate to the people that humans didn’t need to cower in fear before gods and their ilk! Only man was fit to rule the world! Together they would overcome every obstacle and every foe in their path. From the witch´s cult to the divine dragon... They would all crumble before the fury of mankind. Lugnica no longer needed these supernatural entities.

Sadly not everybody understood that true freedom required for humans to take destiny into their own hands and become strong in order to defend their personal freedom. Many would ignore her noble ideas in favour of money, or naive idealism, or because they thought somebody else was stronger than Crusch. And that worried her.

So she had sped up her preparations as much as she could and taken to the field the moment any sign of the accursed whale had been reported to her. She could not afford to lay low and wait for the other candidates to make their move first. The future of Lugnica was at stake!

Secretly, she would never admit that to anybody, she was most intimidated by the fifth candidate. Even though Tanya von Degurechaff looked like a little girl that had barely reached adulthood the cold, predatory look in her eyes had been entirely unbefitting of her appearance. When she had shown everybody at the royal selection how her homeland had been decimated Crusch´s Divine Protection of windreading had detected no lies in her description. If this strange, foreign girl had not found a way to trick her Divine Protection then she was a veteran of unparalleled experience.

Tanya had knowledge about fighting techniques and magic that were entirely unknown to Lugnica and that scared the duchess. The cute, little girl was a hardened killer with many secrets to hide which made her an absolute wildcard in Crusch´s plans.

Furthermore, Tanya had been the first candidate to form an alliance even though she didn’t know the extent of the agreement between the Degurechaff camp and the Emilia camp. Her informants had only reported that a carriage from the Astrea household had accompanied Lady Emilia´s coach back to the Mathers estate and returned later without any passengers. That alone showed how much Tanya trusted the Emilia camp, because she obviously intended to stay for quite a while. A puzzling decision as many of her advisors called it.

Emilia was out of all the candidates easily the one with the worst political standing due to her heritage as a half-elf. Her greatest asset was her confusing sponsorship by Margrave Roswaal who was the strongest magician in the country. The man was odd, but undeniably powerful.

Now that Crusch thought about it she realized that Tanya was in a similar situation: She was a foreigner with no political ties to Lugnica, but was backed by the strongest warrior in the world, the swordsaint Reinhard van Astrea.

Together they would be unstoppable, regardless of how many troupes Crusch managed to assemble or of how many legendary fighters she managed to rally to her banner. Against both the court magician and the swordsaint any army in the world would fall. It was not even a question. This prospect became only more worrying when they both were commanded by the aforementioned wildcard, Tanya von Degurechaff.

Yes, it seemed like her biggest problem so far would be Tanya. Whatever she did Crusch would need to pay close attention. Of course that did not mean she would neglect to observe the other candidates as well, but none had the potential to be as “unexpectedly disastrous” as Lady Degurechaff.

All these reasons had brought her here. Indeed, like her scouts had told her the typical fog that signalled the whale´s presence hung heavy over the land. They had been exceptionally lucky to arrive at the right time to catch the normally rather elusive monster. Even though they were near the Mathers domain she had not dared to contact the margrave for aid lest he steal the glory of her own operation. The credit for killing the White Whale needed to be indisputably attributed to her camp.

With her loyal men behind her back and her trusted sword at her side she felt ready for anything. This was the moment she had been waiting for, for years! Especially old Wilhelm was itching for revenge against the monster that took his beloved wife from him. She had planned and prepared for dozens of scenarios and was confident of her victory.

She may not have fought in a war like Tanya, but she had been on the battlefield multiple times and commanding a small army was a task she was intimately familiar with. Together with some of Lugnica´s finest warriors and the sword demon himself she would obliterate the beast!

Now was the time.

She breathed in deeply and opened her mouth to command the magic casters to fire into the fog to draw the whale out when something unthinkable happened.

A blinding flare of golden light pierced through the dense mist. It´s dazzling intensity turned a large portion of the fog seemingly yellow and illuminated the fields around even though it was still daytime.

“What was that?” shrieked a soldier behind her.

“By the Od Laguna...” muttered another.

Whatever magic had been released had been devastating in power. To possess such enormous abilities was incredibly rare. It appeared to be yang magic in origin as well which only a handful people in the country could cast. Nobody besides Roswaal L. Mathers would be able to accomplish anything like that.

Had the margrave decided to deal with the whale himself before it came too close to his territory? Had all her investments into this mission been for naught? Could fate be so cruel as to deny her victory mere moments away? Had the court magician stolen her hope of making a head start in the royal selection in front of her eyes?

No, she would not give into despair. It would be unbecoming of the future queen and of her status as a noble to give up before she even had confirmation. Nothing was certain yet. Until all hope was lost she would continue with her operation for such was her duty.

The mist surrounding the diminishing light had began to disperse to reveal three large bodies floating in the air. One of them suddenly dropped and crashed into the ground while the other two remained floating. They were mostly white in colour, but had huge patches of black on them as well. Their shape was like that of a whale... Hold on.

Her men soon realized it likewise.

“I-Is... Is that the White Whale?”

“Are there multiple?”

“What? You´re tellin´ me there is more than one?”

Everybody was either too shocked to answer or broke out into an intelligible mix of courses and prayers. Crusch couldn’t fault them even though she did not approve of the loss of discipline. Who could have known that the monster of legend had actually at least two twins of which one appeared to have been killed?

She debated with herself if she should advance or retreat. On one hand the whales were clearly weakened, but on the other she hadn’t planned for two of them at the same time.

What should she do? She desperately needed more information.

“Milady! There is someone coming in our direction.” whispered a nearby commander into her ear.

Indeed somebody was approaching her. Whoever the stranger might be, they would need to answer to her for this strange phenomenon. This concerned the safety of Lugnica after all.

Chapter Text

Chapter 35

Tanya wanted to make the two beasts that had dared to survive god´s divine miracle suffer. Their last wretched thoughts should be pleas for forgiveness to the almighty one. Of course no such mercy would be granted to lowly beasts.

“Retribution has come! You shall taste heavenly wrath today! Haha ha.”

Once more she drew her sword and drove it through the thick hide of the less wounded whale. She couldn´t allow the wretch to escape, now could she?

Her body became near invisible to the unseasoned onlooker as she flew in a straight line along its belly and opened it up horizontally. Tanya blurred into existence again for a second and then continued her work on the other side before the monster even had the chance to scream. Nowhere near as much blood as before oozed from the deep wounds, much to her disappointment.

She chose to torment the other monster while her current victim would hopefully recover some strength for the next round of their little game. The “black twin” as she mockingly called the specimen with mostly charred skin and half of its tale missing proved to be far more interesting. Tanya silently thanked the lord that he alleviated her from her boredom.

From what remained of its skin it produced a dense fog that raced in her direction. Her instinct told her that this was no normal mist, but instead something far deadlier. Not that it could kill a messenger of god of course.

After evading its initial attack she opted to play with it in a different way then she had with the other one. Because most of its receptive nerves on the surface of his body had been burned cutting it yielded suboptimal amounts of pain from the beast.

Instead she humiliated it by first relieving its torso of its pectoral fins and then its head of its eyes. The heretical witch spawn wouldn’t need them in hell anyways. After a minute or so its desperate cries stopped amusing her so logically its accursed existence came to an end.

Deciding to finish this waste of skin and bones off she rammed her arm as deep as she could into the empty eye socked of the creature until she could feel her fingers pressing into the soft flesh of his incompetent brain. The beast doubled his howling and trashing around, but it was for naught. Tanya would not let her prey escape judgement.

“Begone foul monster!”

Deciding to use something new she learned in this world she focused mana through her computation jewel into her fingers and supercharged them.

“El Jiwald”

Inside the whale´s head five burning claws of white mana cut into his brain, instantly liquefying it with their heat. The cry of pain and despair stopped and was replaced with the near inaudible sizzling of its meat being cooked from the inside out. Tanya retracted her bloody arm and let the giant carcass drop out of the sky like a dead fish.

“Praise the lo...” she began to intone, but stopped. Somehow this didn’t feel right. Like there was a part of her that was screaming at her to stop. Just a heartbeat ago this joy coursing through her had felt so wonderful, but now it was almost making her dizzy with disgust. What was happening?

There was something she couldn’t quite grasp. Something she had forgotten.

She needed to remember.

Remember!

Did she not enjoy worshipping god? No...

There was no god. Gods in general were an illusion! Yes! They were mental crutches for the weak and hopeless. A scapegoat for all the mistakes humans committed and were too lazy to fix themselves!

“What? Our harvest this year was ruined? That had to be the work of god and not our own fault for wrongly fertilizing our plants. Let us offer him a goat to appease him. That will definitely solve the problem!” So moronic. People like this were pathetic.

Then why had she believed in such a god just a moment ago? There was another puzzle piece that was missing. She recalled her last memories.

The fog.

The White Whale.

She had needed to kill it fast.

Not enough time.

She had activated her Type 95 computation jewel...

Being X. That was the name she had given him. And that absolute asshole had just brainwashed her. Tanya couldn’t contain her rage any longer.

“BASTARD!” she yelled out into the ether. How dare this piece of shit! Some day... Some day she would make him pay.

She needed to finish this before she made even more of a fool of herself then she already had. Due to how difficult it was to retain information with the full power of the Type 95 active she could only hope that she done nothing she would come to regret later. Chance was on her side. The only people in a perimeter of a few dozen kilometres should be those inside Rem´s carriage. In conjunction with the fog obscuring her position she was optimistic that she hadn’t been observed by anyone ranting like a fanatical lunatic.

Judging from the disintegrating corpses below her she guessed that she had finished off at least to whales. The only alive one that she could detect was weakly crawling through the sky away from her while showering the ground below it in blood. It would have been humorous to watch it struggle, but she had no time to waste.

Flying up to it she thought of different strategies to dispatch the crippled monster. At the short range even her pistol became viable, but she chose to preserve bullets. They were too precious for the time being. Alternatively the whale´s slowness coupled with its gigantic size allowed for manoeuvres that would be impossible with human opponents. Especially those with magic capabilities.

Checking her mana reserves she deemed the expenditure of more magic acceptable and tried something new, now that she the perfect chance to test an idea she had for a while. With a few calculations Tanya created a small orb-shaped barrier inside the whale were she presumed his heart to be and contracted it.

Normally a mage shell would only direct force outwards, but if you inverted the shield then it could form a miniature prison. Capturing enemy mages this way would not function due to them being able to divert the mana flow at close proximity. Killing or wounding would also work poorly, not to mention that a bullet through the cranium would always be more effective.

Groans of pure misery escaped its throat, but the monster was obviously not dead so she had guessed the position of its internal organs wrong. Practice had only taught her human anatomy, not that of (typically) aquatic mammals.

Another try and the whale regurgitated copious amounts of blood, and began to fall towards the ground. Still not good enough so she just repeated the procedure inside its brain with the result finally being satisfactory. The reason why she had initially opted to spare the head was that she intended to preserve it as a trophy.

Nobody would believe her otherwise. Vanquishing a threat that had plagued this kingdom for hundreds of years was no easy accomplishment. If she could deliver proof of her victory then that would surely boost her reputation quite a bit.

However such an act could gather uncomfortable attention as well. If she dominated the royal selection right from the start the other candidates might feel threatened and organize a violent confrontation which could devolve into a civil war. She had seen similar things happen with the enemies of the Empire after all. Most humans were unfortunately not rational enough to suppress their premature reactions.

Furthermore her ally and business partner Emilia could be alienated if she perceived Tanya announcing her feats as glory hoarding. Her servant Subaru had relayed critical information that had turned the battle in their favour so the whole endeavour could very much be seen as a group effort. Leaving Subaru out of the story would undoubtedly be perceived as treason or deceit.

That meant that Tanya would need to begrudgingly share her achievement with him. However she couldn´t reveal Subaru’s special ability to the public. Nobody other than herself and her allies was allowed to catch onto the fact that they could now predict the future. To keep the boy´s true involvement a secret she would need to find a different reason how he had contributed to the fight.

It would be most believable if she told the public that Subaru had spotted the White Whale and discovered its two twins as well, because this was (in a twisted way) actually the truth. She would also need to overplay his usefulness to fit her equal partnership with Emilia.

The point of contention would be that Subaru was at the end of the day just a butler with no military history to speak of. If she exaggerated his skills too much then that would become painfully obvious later and she would turn into a laughingstock. “Have you heard that Degurechaff needed help from a boy who can’t even swing a sword right? How pitiful.” She could already imagine the derision among the nobles.

Implying that a simple servant could hold his own against the White Whale and fight besides Tanya would inadvertently slander her reputation. So she needed to portray him as someone with incredible potential as well as someone who had not reached said potential yet.

Maybe...

A knight in training would be ideal. Knights were highly regarded as the best warriors of the kingdoms, only outclassed by the royal knights, but the vague descriptor “in training” could signal anything. Even the most terrible or mediocre performance could be chalked up to being a trainee.

Unfortunately Tanya was in no position to declare Subaru a knight candidate for Emilia´s camp... But if a misconception should arise... Who was she to deny such claims if the immature boy called himself a knight?

Yes, Subaru seemed like the kind of naive fool who would simply love the idea of swinging a sword around. With a bit of outside influence it would hopefully be easy to convince him to play the role she would give him. As a bonus he would consequently learn to defend himself which would ease her work load when she didn’t have to worry constantly over the security of one of her most valuable assets.

Also another bodyguard for Emilia would be nice. The careless half-elf went everywhere without visible protection. That practically attracted trouble! Aughhh...

Her mild headache exploded in barely suppressed agony. Why did she have to take care of everybody around her? All of these incompetent people went about their lives without a care in the world and left all the work to her as usual! First she had to fix the Empire and now Lugnica! Was the continuous stress of her life another one of Being X´s curses? Probably. She hadn’t had a proper vacation in nearly two decades!

Someone like Subaru had it far better. Truly, ignorance was bliss...

Speaking of the devil, where was he?

As she scanned the horizon for his carriage she noticed said vehicle standing in front of a small army just an MG-shot away.

Tanya inwardly cursed herself for the critical lack of situational awareness. Her lapse in attention was probably a result of sleep deprivation and rapid mana consumption. Otherwise she would have never made such a fatal flaw. Or else she would not have survived this long if she had.

Optical formulae zoomed in and she reflexively snorted. Even though she lived now in the Middle Ages, people on horseback (or in this case ground-dragon-back) still gave her Dacia flashbacks. The apparent leader turned out to be the familiar face of Crusch Karsten. Oh joy.

Well, if Subaru and Rem were there she would have to check the situation.

Time to make an impression.

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Subaru was not sure how to feel. Tanya had gone slightly insane. The White Whale was being taken care of or at least stopped for a short while and he was as useless as ever. Damn it!

No, those were unproductive thought. He knew that. Whining would help nobody. Maybe he could convince those soldiers to help Tanya fight? They seemed capable. At least the green-haired girl in the front would have some answers. She was pretty and had a commanding aura surrounding her so he should probably introduce himself first and explain the state of affairs at hand.

“Hey there milady! I am Subaru Natsuki and I am the butler of the awesome, enigmatic, wonderful Lady Emilia! I just wanted to know who y´all are what you´re doing here. You see the White Whale is hanging around here.”

Stunned silence seemingly froze the world for a moment. The patented Subaru charm just worked on everybody, he thought smugly.

The green-haired lady in armour recovered first.

“I am the duchess Crusch Karsten and candidate for the throne of Lugnica. We have come to exterminate the threat of the White Whale once and for all and put an end to its reign of terror.”

“Awesome! I think Tanya could use some help over there.”

He turned to point at the battle behind him only to wince as one of the beasts fell from the sky and raised a large dust cloud upon impact.

“Or not...”

“Say Subaru, did you happen to refer to Lady Tanya von Degurechaff?”

“Yeah. I guessed you would know her. With the whole royal selection business and all that.”

Before she could formulate a response her gaze snapped to his left and was slightly surprised to see their carriage emerging out of a portion of the remaining fog. It made a straight beeline for them. No, correction: for him.

When Rem´s visage became visible she looked utterly fixated on him and if the dark look she was giving him was anything to go by then she had nothing pleasant in mind.

“I messed up, didn´t I?” thought Subaru.

Rem brought the carriage to a grinding halt and gracefully leapt from the front seat to the ground. As always, she bowed prim and proper to the nobility in front of her.

“Excuse me your highness, but I will have to borrow this unruly servant for a short while.”

He silently begged Crusch with his eyes to intervene, but...

“Very well. If it does not take too long.”

Betrayal. Why had she sold him out? Ahhhhhh...

“You have my thanks Lady Karsten.”

With more force than he thought was necessary the blue-haired maid dragged him behind the coach.

“Subaru what were you thinking?” she hissed.

“I, uh, I...”

No words wanted to form in his mouth. Rem was terrifying! He had already known that, but chosen to forget.

“Subaru why did you do such a reckless thing? Do you want Rem to suffer?”

“Eh, what? Of course not!”

“Then why did you risk your life in such a stupid way? Can´t you imagine what I would have felt if you had died out there? Without me by your side?”

“Ehm...”

Again words were failing him. Did... Did she have feelings for him? Impossible.

“Eh, Rem... Why do you care? I mean I only became a real employee a few days ago and it´s not like I can get anything right. Without me both you and Ram would be perfectly alright. You managed before.”

Pain.

What just happened? Had she slapped him? And if so then why so hard? He blinked the tears away only to find out that Rem was nearly crying as well.

“Don´t say such idiotic nonsense Subaru! Of course you are precious to me. How could you not? You saved me not only from death, but you showed me light in my life again. You gave me hope that I could be something other than my sister´s replacement. Thanks to you I can walk my own path and I want to walk it with you!”

“Wha-“

Subaru was feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. How could anybody say stuff like that about a worthless boy like him? Yes he had helped her out a bit, but that hadn’t been, anything special. With a bit of time Rem would have realized how amazing she was all by herself without him needing to tell her that. And without him she would have never been in danger of the mabeasts in the first place!

“You´re amazing Subaru. So don´t you dare and die on me! We will talk later about this alright?”

Her question left no room for argument and he found himself dumbly nodding along.

Stepping back around the carriage, everybody gave him a knowing look which indicated that they had clearly heard everything what had been going on behind the coach. He tried his hardest to turn invisible in order to avoid the embarrassment, but as always the universe seemed to hate him.

“Sooooo... What are we going to do now?” he questioned idly while rubbing his hurting cheek. Rem seriously packed a punch.

“It appears as if we came here for naught. Nonetheless we should inspect the corpses and determine if Lady Tanya really felled the White Whale on her own.”

Her steely voice betrayed a tiny amount of bitterness and Subaru could emphasize with her. He would be pretty miffed too if someone pulled a kill steal after a lengthy quest. What flag had the poor woman triggered to deserve this?

“I understand. Claims of that magnitude require proof. Sadly at least two of the bodies seem to have dissolved already.”

Huh? Where had Tanya come from? The girl was silent as a ghost. Well, maybe everyone besides him had noticed her approach, because they didn’t look nearly as surprised as he did. This day really wasn’t the best for all of them.

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Crusch felt hopeless. She had to stand by and watch while her rival defeated not one, but (somehow) three of the most powerful beings in Lugnica in a matter of minutes and without help. How could she compare to that? What could she do to surpass this? All her life she had been hailed as a capable warrior and tactician. Someone who would be able to overcome all difficulties that life presented her with. But now... The best way to describe her feelings about herself would be “inadequate”.

Still, she would not give up. Never. Her loyal supporters and vassals trusted her with their lives and she would not let them down by despairing. The future was still uncertain. Only her own actions could determine what would become of her. Like her father had said: “Who does not try cannot win.”

If Tanya could swat the White Whale out of the sky like a pesky fly so what? What did that prove?

Only that she would be a formidable opponent. Good. Only with an exceptional adversary would she herself be able to grow exceptional as well. If Tanya defeated the White Whale then Crusch would just do something even more incredible. She would give her best and go beyond her limits. She would give everything she had for this kingdom and more. Because the people deserved it.

So she took courage and steeled her soul. This temporary setback meant nothing. Two years were a long time to surpass the other candidates. Through the power of determination she would prevail.

Tanya on the other hand looked thoroughly dishevelled. Wounds littered her entire body and her clothes were literally dyed red from blood. It should not have pleased her, but inwardly Crusch was relieved that the young girl had not come out of such a gargantuan battle unscathed. Such power would have been truly inconceivable.

But the closer she looked the more oddities became obvious. The countless cuts for example were too clean to be inflicted by a monstrosity like the whale. Indeed they looked exactly like knife wounds. Also her only weapon appeared to be cutlass of some sort sorts which was strange. Well, the girl was a magician, a powerful one at that, but to win with only a rather short blade and magic...

Thoughts for later. First she would inspect the corpse of the whale. Certainly this would teach her much about her powerful rival.

Chapter Text

Chapter 36

Crusch had found her resolve again, but she had still no idea how to address the visibly wounded and fatigued royal candidate in front of her. Should she offer the services of one of her healers? Or maybe new clothes to replace the dirtied, tattered rags that clung to Tanya´s body? Because they were rivals for the throne she was not obligated to help her out, but the good will that she could earn by doing so could be worth it. It might even strengthen the image of her upstanding and chivalrous persona in the eyes of her followers.

No. It could be misinterpreted as patronizing or condescending. Possibly offending her greatest opponent in the royal selection was not a good idea at the moment. She would not comment on Tanya´s disastrous appearance and pretend as if she looked as presentable as at the tea party.

“Lady Tanya, would you mind escorting us to the place of battle. As a duchess of this country I am rather invested in what is happening to the land and would like to take a look.”

A mere excuse that was easy to see through. Still, Tanya nodded as if expecting to hear that before she turned to the blue-haired maid and commanded:

“Then let us ride back in the coach so I can rest my back a bit. Come with me Subaru. It will be faster this way.”

The way she said it made it seem like a completely normal request, but a nagging feeling at the back of her head told Crusch that something more was at play here. While the way over to the remains of the whale would take a few minutes on foot, Tanya had flown the distance in barely a couple of seconds. Did she want privacy? What for? And why did she need to be alone with Subaru of all people for a moment?

Maybe she was becoming too paranoid. The winds of truth had blown around Tanya; even if they seemed a bit more hesitant than normal. Either she had told half-truths or important information had been left out. Well, she often felt that way around Tanya in general; not unlike a certain merchant princess from Kararagi.

Subaru... that name hadn’t rung any bells for her until now. Wasn’t this the boy who Lady Emilia had begged to be healed by Felix? If she remembered correctly then he had a damaged gate which could only be fully treated by her knight. The stress and excitement from the whale hunt must have seriously messed with her attention to forgot him like that.

To be honest Crusch had only agreed to the deal, because she hadn’t managed to secure any other alliance with the rival camps. Priscilla was too proud for a treaty and Anastasia had this suspicious glint in her eyes like she would stab you in the back at the most opportune moment.

Compared to these two and the veteran child soldier, Emilia was painfully open and honest. Those were traits that were highly valued by Crusch as well, but she knew the limits of “niceness” in a political environment. Meanwhile the half-elf would never utilize underhanded methods out of fear for being further shunned as dishonourable and traitorous due to her heritage. In that sense she was the ideal business partner.

Crusch was violently ripped from her musing by the wave of disgusting odour that assaulted her nose. They had arrived at the crash site and now had the opportunity to admire the bloody work that Tanya had carved into the dead flesh of the titanic creature.

(Image is not entirely accurate btw.)

While its body was mostly unrecognizable it was still undeniably the White Whale. The thing had been a terrible monster, but she shuddered to imagine how it must have felt when it died. Huge chunks of his skin were melted or burned away. Deep cuts littered its body and the blood flowed freely into a humongous puddle beneath it. Multiple people would be able to bath in it if any citizen of Lugnica had been crazy enough to soak themselves in such a vile substance.

The remains of its one visible eye were a fleshy ruin that she really didn’t want to expect any further than she had to. While she had seen her fare share of death and suffering it was never a pleasant experience. Poor Felix wouldn’t have the stomach for it as well.

Looking over the disfigured carcass she nodded sagely to keep up her wise and collected appearance. Her inspection was complete and she had all the information she needed. Tanya von Degurechaff was dangerous. Highly dangerous in fact. More so than she could have ever imagined.

But Tanya was still human and all mortal creatures had flaws. Even the strongest would have a weak point somewhere. By the Od, the so called gods who flaunted with their power and influence were probably the most flawed beings of them all!

Whatever it was that could bring Tanya to her knees she needed to find it and find it fast. Magic was obviously her strong suit. Light magic from the looks, but she would consult a few experts on that later. Meant that that she was weaker in close range? No, obviously the White Whale had been attacked by a sword multiple times so that couldn’t be the case. If she could find some way to nullify magic though...

Perhaps she should organize a friendly spar against more human opponents to test Tanya´s pure skill with an unenchanted blade. The sword demon, Wilhelm van Astrea, could doubtlessly put up a fight despite his age if Tanya were to be deprived of her more long-ranged attack options.

Just as she was beginning to put a plan into action Wilhelm took the initiative and approached her greatest rival.

The old man knelt down on a relatively untainted piece of grass and bowed his head to the unperturbed looking blonde girl who had defeated the monster. With a voice full of gratefulness he spoke the words that Crusch knew came directly from his heart.

“Thank you Lady Degurechaff. My name is Wilhelm Trias and I thank you from the bottom of my soul. For avenging my wife and slaying this beast I will be forever in your debt. Its suffering brings joy to my old heart.”

“There is no need. I am honoured that you feel the desire to thank me, but what I did was more of a accident really. In truth, I hadn’t meant to kill the beast, but I got too carried away in the act and used more force than necessary.”

Incredible, this girl was arguing that she hadn’t meant to kill with her awesome display of power and she was not even lying! What would have a killing blow from her looked like? Crusch unnoticeably shivered at the image of what else this monster in human skin was capable of.

“I also do not deserve the sole credit of defeating the White Whale. This boy, Subaru Natsuki was integral in forming the plan that lead to its undoing. Without him I would have most likely not succeeded.”

Subaru sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Was this some sort of game?

“There lies incredible potential in him. So much in fact, that even I would dread to take him on should he be able to further polish his skills.”

How? Was her Divine Protection failing her? Impossible! This meagre boy with nasty eyes and uncouth behaviour could even put fear into Tanya who had just slain the White Whale? Perhaps she had severely underestimated Emilia´s camp. Her competition grew more menacing with the minute it seemed.

“Due to hectic circumstances nothing has been finalized yet, but he recently expressed his desire to attain knighthood to me. After contributing so greatly to the destruction of one of the three great mabeasts he has more than earned his right to try at least. No doubt you will be hearing more of his career in the coming months.”

“Yeah! That would be awesome! I bet Emi will love it when I can properly protect her with a big, long sword!”

Some of her soldiers snorted and he blushed intensely while gesturing wildly.

“Th-That totally came out wrong! I d-didn´t mean it that way!”

Even Wilhelm´s lips quirked upwards for a split-second.

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Tanya wasn’t so sure if Subaru was just an excellent actor of if he really was a fool. Well, maybe that assessment was not entirely fair, seeing as he was just as gullible and naive as one would expect a child of the twenty-first millennium to be. He had probably not known mortal danger or careful diplomacy before coming to this world. Nonetheless, ignorance was never a very good excuse for failure in Tanya´s opinion.

Every human should possess the intrinsic capability to learn and adapt. Those that refused to do so were inevitably swept up in the waves of progress never to be seen again. History did not entrust success to the care of the weak-minded or overly trusting. After a few days or weeks at this point Subaru should have realized that guarding his emotions and thinking things through could only benefit him in the long run.

Whatever. She shouldn’t complain since his social obliviousness played in her favour. The easier he was to read, the easier it was to manipulate him after all.

For example her little “persuasion” inside the magically insulated carriage had worked wonders on his impressionable mind:

“Your accomplishments with defeating the White Whale will certainly make the rounds soon. Whatever happened here is too grand to be hidden from Lady Crush so you have no choice but to play along. Now is the time to finally gain a substantial reputation if you make use of the current situation. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Ehm... Not really? I didn’t do anything...”

“Oh, on the contrary! Without you I could have never made the correct plan to defeat the White Whale! Not all important positions are located on the front lines. I know that better than most. You conveyed strategic information to me that turned out to be critical in this operation. You should be proud of yourself Subaru!”

It hadn’t taken much convincing afterwards to subtly plant the idea of knighthood into his head without her directly suggesting it. Exploiting his relationship with the half-elf turned out to be a great motivator for the boy who no doubt wanted to prove his usefulness to his employer. When he had hesitantly inquired about how one could potentially become a knight and she had to pinch herself to keep the satisfied grin of her face.

“Do you have an interest in attaining knighthood, Subaru?” Tanya had asked innocently.

He had taken the bait and promised her with obvious determination to become “the best knight ever”. (Subaru´s words not hers.) Sadly, their conversation had come to an end as they had arrived at their destination already. They couldn’t remain indoors or else Crusch suspicions would grow.

This whole debacle was slowly slipping out of control when she noticed that the third White Whale corpse was against her expectations not rapidly decomposing like the others. Why? That didn´t make sense? Was that particular creature different from the other two? Regardless, her hopes that the disintegration would hide the specifics of her fighting style from her enemies had been squashed. Now Crusch held the informational advantage.

Damn it!

At least she was able to shift the collective attention from her to Subaru when she conveniently brought up his involvement in the battle and exaggerated his importance with a few white lies. One truth could cut deeper than a thousand lies after all, or however Lieutenant Grantz´s saying went.

Embellishing his choice of career served to make the announcement more official, but she didn’t know of it would be enough to convince the actual warriors present. Honestly, she could have done a much better job in her opinion if she hadn´t been exhausted already. Surviving combat while under the influence of sleep-deprivation and hunger was basically muscle memory at this point, but giving convincing political speeches on top was not typically required of her.

Well, with some luck it had been sufficient. She was just weighing the pros and cons of cutting the monster´s head of right here and now or waiting with it until Crusch´s forces withdrew when Subaru suddenly alerted her to what was going on behind her.

“Rem, what is it? Are you feeling unwell?”

The maid was clutching her head and seemed to be in some sort of discomfort.

“It´s sister! I can feel her through our connection and she is... afraid. Ram is never afraid. Something terrible must have happened at the mansion.”

Tanya resisted the urge to facepalm. Of course these stupid maids couldn’t have the decency to get in trouble without her noticing! Even if Ram was dying couldn’t she understand that Tanya urgently needed a nap and a warm soup? No? Now she was forced to deal with whatever trivial problem was plaguing the Mathers household. Why couldn’t she get one week without trouble? Being X truly was a spiteful bastard.

Chapter Text

Chapter 37

“Rem, look at me.” Tanya commanded with barely hidden irritation. “Can you tell us any more details?”

At this point she didn´t even care that Crusch´s whole army was listening in. She just wanted to get this over with.

“I am afraid not, Lady Tanya. My sister´s and my Synaesthesia allows only for strong emotions to be shared between us. But this... terror is absolutely uncommon for her!”

Of course.

Even after two weeks the stupid magic of this land managed to boggle her mind. Telepathy, really? But asking how that was biologically possible was a futile endeavour until she could get her hands on a good neurosurgeon. What mattered was the overarching situation at hand.

A strong emotion was technically not enough to warrant immediate concern, but she could be labelled as “heartless” or “irresponsible” for potentially letting her ally be endangered. With Rem gone the only maid left at the mansion was Ram which meant that she was unlikely to leave the building because she had double the duties to attend to. Whatever was happening to her therefore occurred in Emilia´s vicinity and could be dangerous to her wellbeing. If she could help it then she would not risk letting unintentional harm come to one of her greatest assets.

On the other hand Lord Roswaal had directly ordered Tanya to leave his domain. Infringing on his business and disregarding his request despite enjoying his hospitality would be a grave insult to the strongest magician in Lugnica. Their young alliance stood on shaky legs momentarily and would not survive such an incident unscathed.

Well, she had technically left his sphere of influence already, but he hadn´t clarified when she was welcome to return... Yes, it was a flimsy excuse, but noble politics worked that way. If she had stuck to the international wartime law like it had been intended and not like it had been worded then a great many victories wouldn´t have been made for the fatherland.

But did she even want to return the Mathers estate? Reinhard was waiting for her and would undoubtedly worry for her safety. Furthermore she was in a hardly presentable state at the moment which she was ashamed to have completely forgotten about until now. Clothes mattered little to her and Tanya had learned that especially on the battlefield a less strict expectation rested on how you looked. There had been meetings she had attended with still blood-soaked hair or once even with an open wound. Time was precious after all.

Maybe Rem´s sister had a mood swing or fell down the stairs or had been scared by a children´s story. Thousands of relatively innocent possibilities existed that would explain what she was feeling, but there also remained the small chance that it was something actually serious. Roswaal should have left the house a few hours ago so Emilia and Rem were alone and vulnerable. Bandits or assassins could be attacking or the mansion was burning down...

Damn it! Even if it was the slimmest of possibilities; she couldn’t abandon her business partner just after they had sealed the deal. Her investment had been too great to throw it away like that. Tanya knew what the “sunk cost fallacy” was from the Chicago School of Economics yet she also knew the value of always staying careful and suspicious from a lifetime of war and poverty.

In the end the screaming instinct at the back of head that was sensing something afoul prevailed. Caution won her internal debate and she turned towards Crusch once more.

“Excuse me Lady Karsten, but I seems that Lady Emilia could potentially be in trouble. I am acting on a hunch and was consequently not prepared for this situation. I would be deeply thankful if you could - upon arrival in the capital of course - send a messenger to the Astrea household and inform my knight Reinhard that I am sadly needed here for a while longer. Telling him about Subaru´s and my exploits in defeating the White Whale would also be greatly appreciated.”

Crusch nodded and Tanya slightly bowed her head to show her thankfulness. Not too much though! They were both on equal standing in the royal selection so subservience would damage her reputation. Tanya might not own the title of duchess, but she had the support of the sword saint which could even be seen as superior.

“It is no problem at all. Would you mind if we could discuss some things at a later date? A lot has happened today and it would be wonderful if we could speak about it properly in private.”

Oh joy. Another event she would have to worry about now. She had not enough coffee to deal with this shit.

“Yes, surely. I will certainly find a way to arrange an appointment next week.”
“Somehow.” she thought with a strained smile.
“Well, then... I would say it has been a pleasure, but so far this day has been nothing but stress really. Let our next reunion be under less bloody circumstances.”

Her focus shifted from the dead whale to the nearby maid.

“Rem, make the ground dragon ready. I dearly hope your senses are deceiving you and that we are just wasting a few hours of time here, as much as that pains me to say.”

After she had herded her two useless guards away from the carriage (Seriously, one of them was shaking from the sight of the White Whale alone! She would need to have a word with Reinhard about how he trained his servants.) she hastily redressed inside with clothes from her luggage.

When she stuck out her head from the cabin again Subaru was making small talk with the old man who had thanked her and Rem had finished whatever she had been doing. Smart of him to socialize with an influential person who believed to owe him a debt on top. Nonetheless this was not the time for making political connections.

“Come on! We have no more time to lose. Rem do you still feel the same emotions from Ram?”

“Yes. Sister is still afraid.”

If the girl was not lying to her then that was worrisome. Roswaal´s maid could have made the whole synaesthesia-ability up without anyone being able to disprove it. It was a very convenient timing to receive the “vision” in front of as large of an audience as possible so that Tanya couldn’t ignore it. Alas, she had already made a decision and she would run through with it.

Routinely checking her mana reserves revealed that she had expended more than one half of her energy. That wasn´t good. Whatever spells she had casted while under the influence of the accursed Type 95 computation jewel had been more costly than necessary. Her natural regeneration would most likely be enough to bring her back to sixty or so percent, but it still angered her that she had lost so much control. Oh, how she hated that bastard who had robbed her of her freedom time and time again.

Where was he anyway? She had asked herself that question many times already and her nervousness continued to grow. There was no use in asking questions without answers so she disregarded her worry until the moron showed himself to her.

In a stroke of ingenuity she let one of her guards and Rem switch position. This way he would have at least contributed something meaningful to her journey. Also Rem was freed from steering the carriage which allowed her to heal some of Tanya´s deeper wounds. She didn´t even really bleed anymore as far as she could tell, but she needed to look not like corpse if possible.

Hours went by as Tanya tried to fall into what she called “half-sleep” to recover even the tiniest amount of energy. Rem had reverted to a tense silence and Subaru was uneasy himself which served Tanya just fine.

Suddenly her peace was abruptly ripped apart by the sound of the ground dragon screeching and the coach coming to a startling halt. In a flash she blew the door of its hinges and catapulted herself outside. Artificial drugs slowed her perception temporarily to a crawl and she registered the remains of the driver to her left. His head was clean blown off which would explain how he hadn’t been able to make a sound of warning.

Even worse, the ground dragon appeared to be injured with a large icicle sticking out of its hind leg. Immediately her cerulean glowing eyes scanned the environment for hostiles. At first glance they appeared to be nine strange hooded figures on this side of the carriage. Probably more of them were waiting on the other side of the road as well so she would need to be quick.

For a moment she considered nonlethal takedowns, but decided against it when they had clearly shown to possess murderous intent and did not even attempt peaceful negotiations. They had lost their right for human decency the moment they had made an attempt on her life and a rather poor one at that.

Her combat knife slid into her hand and began to shine with green energy as the mage blade formula refined the already sharp edge to near monomolecular levels. One jerk of her arm and the nearest combatant´s head left his shoulders. A twist to the side saved her from impalement from two impossibly fast thrown daggers and she was already near her next victim. His speed surpassed the reaction time of a normal human, but his steel knife was no match for her blade which cleaved through the attempted block like butter and found its destiantion in his heart.

It was a small wonder that these people could even see her coming with their impractical cloth masks. Their uniform was not familiar to her in the slightest which made sense considering they were likely part of a criminal organization. But she still wanted to know who they were and what they wanted.

Her question was answered by the comically slowed down voice of Rem who shouted: “DIE WITCH CULTISTS!” with impressive hatred from behind her.

Oh no.

That wasn´t fair.

How did her luck manage to get even worse? The most feared terrorist organization in the world was coming for her now. First the White Whale and now the damned cult! She really should have brought Reinhard with her on this trip.

Chapter Text

Chapter 38

Subaru thought, like most of the time, what the hell his life had become. A few weeks ago he had lived a boring, disappointing, lonely life of failure and to defeat only to be abruptly become confronted with the harsh and often bloody reality of an entirely different world. Now his uneventful days had devolved into a mixture of mortal fear and magical excitement. He couldn’t say if that was an upgrade or not.

Regardless of what he did the world seemed to hate him for some reason. He had been stabbed, burned, beaten, crushed, skewered and so many more things that he didn’t want to think about. His nightmares got worse every night and what did he receive for his troubles? More pain. More regret. More proof of how worthless he was.

Well, sometimes it seemed to also go pretty great for him. Emilia had grown to trust him in the short time that she knew him (and didn´t that thought sting?), Rem obviously cared for him on some level and now he even had an opportunity to become a knight. A real knight! How cool was that! Finally he had chance to become strong so that he could properly protect those he cared about. And save him a lot of dying of course, a selfish part of his brain added.

Everything appeared to going well until Rem-chan had a strange vision that bad things were going on at the mansion. He had been fully prepared to convince Tanya of the need to return, but she had already decided to go back and check on her own. She really was a good friend for Emilia even if she was a bit strange sometimes. (She couldn’t hold a candle to Roswaal in this aspect though.)

That left the question open, what on earth could have happened to Ram. Another Wolgram attack? Or worse, the crazy murder lady from the capital had come to enact revenge? Or maybe –

Multiple things suddenly seemed to come about at the same time. The carriage stopped and threw him out of his seat, Tanya absolutely demolished the door and the ground dragon screamed loudly. When he gathered his senses Rem had already leapt out of the other side and brandished her giant Morningstar that she had pulled from an unknown place. (He had obsesses many sleepless nights over where she hid that damn thing and he had no clue.)

If that had not been enough to trigger his PTSD then the well-known phrase “DIE WITCH CULTISTS!” together with the rattling of chains did the job.

All he could think was: “She´s gonna kill me! She´s gonna kill me! Gonna kill me killmekillmekillmekillmekillme...”

His whole world was being consumed by fear. He had died many times, but none of his deaths had been as shocking as the ones at the hands of his friend. It had hurt. It still hurt so much.

He was snapped out of his panic attack by the gentle shaking of his shoulder.

“Hey, it´s alright. They’re all dead Subaru. They can´t hurt you anymore.”

Rem´s voice caused him to flinch despite the soft tone of it. Yes, she was right. He really was pathetic, wasn´t he? Instead of helping he had hidden inside the coach. She must think of him as such a loser and he could understand that. He was a loser after all.

He forced himself upright and exited the cabin with still shaking knees. The familiar scent of his blood (not his not his nothisnothis) permeated the air and he nearly had a second panic attack. When he shook the terror from his head and regained his balance he noticed Tanya kneeling down on the ground and examining a dead cultist.

“If they attacked us here on the road then they are likely already at the mansion. Rem can you still feel your sister?” she asked.

“Yes. But our connection is weakening for some reason. We must hurry.”

The little girl thoughtfully cleared her large knife and sheathed it in one smooth motion in her boot.
Why were all the cute girls in this world ice cold killers? It just wasn´t fair!

“Indeed. However, this ground dragon is in no shape to run again. I am going to scout ahead while you try to heal it. Together with my remaining body guard you should be able to protect Subaru from harm.”

He might have nearly had a nervous breakdown just now, but his pride as a man couldn’t take that insult without protest.

“Hey! Don´t look down on me!”

The tired glare he received felt like he had barely avoided significant harm to his person. Scary.

“Stay alert. We don’t know how many more of them are hiding in these woods. Rem I trust you r combat experience. Retreat if necessary and don´t lose your cool. Your lives have number one priority for now. Don´t die on me.”

With these words she crouched low and blasted off into the sky, leaving only a dust cloud in her wake.

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Rem was alternating between furious and incredibly worried. The filthy witch cult that had cost her family so much dared to encroach onto the only the place that she could reasonably call home. They wanted to take everything away from her sister and her! Again! Did their wretched cruelty know no bounds? She wanted to slaughter every last one of them and make them suffer in the worst ways imaginable! Her blood was boiling at their mere scent!

But like Lady Degurechaff had said, she could not allow herself to be lost in the bloodlust. Her sister and Lady Emilia needed help! Getting them to safety was more important than vengeance at the moment. She also had to take care of Subaru.

While he was her personal hero who had gifted her the world, she was under no delusions hat he was weak. He could – no, he would grow, because he wanted to, but it was sadly not enough at the moment. She would need to protect him for the time being and she would be lying if she said she didn’t like the idea of that. Now she had the opportunity to repay the kindness he had shown her and assist him in becoming the most awesome person he could become. He would be truly glorious, of that she had no doubts.

Her hero proved surprisingly adapt at keeping the ground dragon still while she removed the icicle stuck in its leg.

“Mana of water, heal his broken body.” she intoned and concentrated on patching the wound up as good as she could.

She was no master healer like Lady Beatrice and it showed. Undoubtedly their mount would be able to move again, but its speed would be greatly reduced. With her Oni strength she would probably be capable of outpacing the animal at its current level if she hadn´t two other people to worry about. The remaining guard of Lady Degurechaff was of no concern to her and she would have left him behind without a second thought.

Subaru on the other hand would not come to any harm under her watch. She knew that she would never be able to forgive herself if he got murdered by cultists while she ran away. Simply picking him up and carrying him all the way to the mansion would tire even her out eventually. And fighting the vilest and most threatening organization in Lugnica exhausted was bound to get her killed.

Not that she cared that much about her own life, even though her treasured Subaru had shown her its value, but her loved ones simply took priority. Rem would gladly sacrifice herself if it secured the safety of her sister or her hero. Dying before they were absolutely out of harm’s way though was not acceptable.

So she begrudgingly readied the carriage and urged the crippled ground dragon on as much as she dared until the beast collapsed from pain or exhaustion.

Her darling sister was in danger and disgusting cultists had invaded her home. She would not stand for this!

Chapter Text

Chapter 39

Things were not looking good. When Tanya arrived at the small village near the mansion the streets were already painted red with blood. She lowered her altitude and touched down on the ground to properly take in the destruction. A little bit of investigation would be necessary to accurately judge the strengths and weaknesses of her new enemy.

Men, women and children all seemed to have found their unfortunate ends in equally brutal fashion. Some were cut in half or disembowelled. Others had their necks twisted or their limbs ripped off. The cause of these injuries appeared to be blunt force which was disconcerting to say the least.

Curiously a few corpses on the town square were either totally crushed or had obviously been thrown high into the air. That was clear to see, because their ribs and faces had been destroyed from the impact and their blood had splattered in a pattern that was impossible to fake. A few even laid on nearby rooftops or were now imbedded into the walls of the surrounding houses.

Seeing as not all casualties had occurred this way the logical conclusion was that some members of the cult were significantly stronger than others. If through magic or pure physical strength remained to be determined.

Satisfied with her findings Tanya wiped her bloody hands at the shirt of a little child and stood up to survey the massacre one last time. It truly was a shame for all these innocent, productive members of society to be wasted. These hopeful children would never gain the chance to prove themselves and take control of their own fate like she had. Instead their last living moments had only been filled with agony and the knowledge that that they would be undone by a moronic and utterly brainless terrorist organization.

Tanya had always been a rational person and as such had accepted the reality of her eventual death early on. But when she left the living world (for the final time) then she intended to do so on her own terms. Not to please Being X or her employers. Her death should be one of natural causes and without regrets. She wanted to leave a better world behind where all her work had been completed and all her affairs were put in order. A world where she had done her best to spread reason and progress to uplift the entirety of civilization.

Furthermore, Visha had shown her that life was also what you shared with others. If possible she would like to die with her closest friends and confidantes by her side and a smile on her lips. Emotions were rarely beneficial for anybody, but without them a life would ring hollow. Tanya was more than the sum of her work after all. She lived for the small pleasures like a freshly brewed cup of coffee or the gentle summer breeze against her skin and she just worked really hard to secure herself these indulgences. Life was precious for her so she fought constantly to keep it. Years of war and poverty had taught her that enjoyment could be found in the simplest things, yet was so easily missed if you were unobservant.

The children of Irlam village would never grow up to understand all that.

They had died for nothing.

Not for their ideals or out of their own free will.

Not for the good of humanity or even their own country.

They had not ended their existence full of satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment, but with terror and confusion.

What a pity.

War had forced Tanya to do many atrocious things, but she regretted none of them. She could say in good conscience that she had always done her best to minimize the loss of life by quickly and decidedly turning the tide of war. Never had she received pleasure from the loss of human capital (with the sole exception of Mary Sioux; that bitch could rot in hell). Yes, she had seen many a dead child and family, but their demises had always served a purpose. They had been unfortunate casualties that got in the way to bring peace.

This slaughter of the small village was the opposite of that. Here these none combative civilians had been the target without reason or restraint. An act of senseless violence, of war in a time of relative peace. It was absurd, revolting and unforgivable.

The witch´s cult had been active since centuries ago if the stories she had read were to be believed. They acted from the shadows without agenda or goal. Only the sowing of discord and chaos counted for them. Members who joined allegedly even gave up their minds in order to serve the jealous witch better. Perhaps this witch was Being X´s sister? She certainly sounded like the bastard.

If there was one thing that Tanya truly hated then that were people who contributed nothing to society and excused their parasitic exploitation with the divine right to do so. Charlatans and madmen who hid behind petty lies and leeched of the accomplishments of their betters. Scum who wanted to receive without giving in return. Priests, communists and now also these cultists. They were absolutely worthless and the whole system would in fact be better off if they would just disappear over night.

Sadly such lowlifes rarely had the curtesy to remove themselves so people like her would be forced to do that for them. In her first life as a salaryman she had managed human resources and laid off those with no potential or willingness to change. In her second life she had taken a more... direct approach in disposing of them.

That trend would continue it seemed.

As long as these crazed murderers threatened the people of this country, Lugnica would know no true peace. There was no negotiating with religious fanatics, she could attest to that from experience. If they had completely and willingly given up their freedom of choice then they counted no longer as humans in her eyes. Where she had resisted they had fallen. Without individuality they were no sentient beings worthy of respect any more, they were just obstacles. The only option of dealing with them would be to exterminate them all.

With violence on her mind and now fresh out of mercy Tanya took to the air and rushed in the direction of the Mathers estate.

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Emilia was shaking. She couldn’t remember if she had ever felt as afraid as in this very moment. Absolute fear was flooding her veins and made it near impossible to think. Puck was not responding to her call and she was perhaps for the first time in her life completely and utterly alone.

In the morning she had said goodbye to Tanya and Subaru and the mansion had already felt empty after their departure. Who would she talk to when they both were not present? Roswaal had always too much work to do, Beatrice didn´t leave her library and Ram mostly ignored her. The only other person available was Puck, but for some reason he had refused to leave his crystal.

Then a few hours ago they had heard strange sounds from the nearby village and Ram had gone off to investigate only to return a few minutes later out of breath and bloodied.

“The witch´s cult is here.” was what she had said.

Witch

Witch

WITCH

Even after years of hearing that word it still sent shivers down her spine. Would she never be able to escape the shadow of the devilish half-elf that looked like her?

Why were these cultists here? She hadn’t done anything to anger the cult. In fact, she hadn’t done anything to anger anybody! She just wanted to live a quiet life with her friends and help people! Was that so wrong? Was she perhaps really cursed? Because her luck never seemed to get better.

Well, that wasn´t entirely true. She had Roswaal who provided for her and Subaru... Her dear, silly, stupid, fantastic Subaru. He always had an idea regardless of how terrible it was. He would make her laugh and strike ridiculous poses in one moment and in the other he would listen to her and tell her pretty lies. Really, how could anybody believe that she was beautiful? She looked like the stupid witch!

The one person who had ruined her life without the two of them ever meeting. Emilia´s appearance only brought her scorn or disgust from the citizens and she was tired of it. Even at the royal selection event the councilmen and the audience had insulted her. They had only really stopped when Tanya had made her debut...

Out of all the royal candidates she was the one who had actively approached her with respect and constant friendliness. Puck had told her that some of it had been faked, but that she also played that charade with everybody. Tanya appeared like a person who would not easily open up on her true feelings and who could honestly blame her after what she had been through? (Emilia would never admit it to Tanya, but the images she had showed at the royal selection still haunted her nightmares sometimes.)

She had even been willing to form an alliance and help her with freeing the elves of Elior forest. Also... Tanya was simply adorable. The urge to hug her had somehow grown over the last week until she couldn´t hold back anymore. She simply had to squeeze her one las time bfore she made the trip back to the capital.

All in all, Tanya and Subaru were shaping up to be the two best friends imaginable. One of them was dependable and the other was approachable. The thought of finally having real friends terrified and excited her in equal measure. What could she do for them so that they wouldn’t leave her? How could she properly show her gratitude? What did friends do in their free time? It was all so confusing, but also exhilarating.

Sadly, none of them were here at the moment to help her with her current predicament.

She was all alone.

Again.

“P-Puck, come out. I-I´m s-scared. Please. If I offended you s-somehow... I´ll d-do anything! Please!” she begged for the hundredth time. Her contracted spirit remained silent. She could feel the connection to him. He was obviously sleeping. But why wasn’t he waking up! Why!

Suddenly anger overtook her. Everybody was leaving her behind and she had enough of it. If Puck didn’t want to answer her then fine! That dunderhead should not complain the next time she refused him sweets or a belly rub!

If she could only rely on herself at the moment then she would just do it herself! The damned witch´s cult thought they could make her cower in fright and invade her home? Well then they had thought wrong! They would be the ones begging for their lives and after everything that they had indirectly put her through she was not in the mood to grant them their wishes.

Her legs hadn´t stopped shaking, but instead from fear they were now quivering from anger. When she slowly rose from her hideout in the barricaded room that Ram had locked her in, her eyes had darkened. What once had been a bright shade of purple was now nearly looking like black to an outside observer.

Ice began to crawl up the walls of the room and turned the air she was breathing into mist, but she didn’t mind. The rapidly dropping temperature escaped her notice altogether. Raising one hand and drawing on the vast power of her elven magic she shot out twenty large shards of ice that ripped the barricaded door to splinters and carried on to obliterate the wall on the other side of the hallway.

She would not be weak.

She would not be powerless.

She would not suffer wretched murders in her home any longer!

Her shoulders’ tensing was the only warning before she broke into a sprint that would put most athletes to shame. Due to her elven heritage she was significantly stronger and faster than the average human. Even without training she eclipsed almost everybody she had come across in physical power. A fact that she normally made sure to hide careful in order not to unsettle or outright frighten the people around her. They were hostile enough when they thought of her as a weak little girl after all.

Corridor after corridor blurred right past her as she strained her hearing to pick up any sound from the possible intruders. The mansion was eerily silent until her senses picked up rumbling from the floor beneath her. (Those pointy ears were not just for show.)

Instinctively more icicles formed in the air behind her and floated there like a giant halo. The air became unbearably cold for a normal human and large sheets of ice soon covered every surface in her immediate vicinity. Anybody else would have likely frozen to the floor had they tried to walk where she did, but to Emilia it was not a hindrance at all. Rather, the ice made her even faster, because she could slide on her feet to gain continuously more momentum.

Had she been thinking clearly she would have never attempted such a stunt, but in her boiling fury she ignored all the restrictions and limitations she had set for herself. For that reason she continued to speed up and up along the linear hallway until she created a enormous shield of ice in front of her and simply used it to burst through the wall at its end. Ice and stone exploded into a cloud of debris and deadly shrapnel, but again she paid it no mind.

Down the stairwell and to the left and she arrived at the door where she still heard loud sounds originating from. She was about to pulverize the barrier in her way with her magic when to her mild surprise Ram threw it open from the inside and tumbled out of the room. The distraction only lasted for half a second though before her razor-sharp icicles streamed into the room and pierced multiple purple robed silhouettes, pinning them to the tapestry.

Rem was still staring at her in shock and Emilia finally noticed that the maid had blood all over her clothes. Way more than last time she had seen her. Judging from the body parts strewn around the room it was safe to assume that she had not held in combat.

“L-Lady E-Emilia... Why a-are y-you here?”

The arctic temperatures were causing Ram to violently shiver and her teeth were loudly chattering against each other. Emilia had to make an active effort with her fire magic to melt the ice and raise the temperature so that the pink-haired maid wouldn´t freeze to death.

“I'm done with hiding. They will regret ever coming here.” she growled.

Ram shivered again, but not because of the cold.

Chapter Text

Chapter 40

Tanya had not expected to find one half of the mansion encased in ice. Spikes, more than twenty metres long were bursting through the walls and roof and a thin blanket of snow laid on the surrounding area.

Another, thankfully smaller part of the building seemed to be on fire if the smoke was anything to go by and many of the windows in the lower floors were destroyed. The signs of an attack on a comparatively massive scale were so obvious that even a Russi general couldn´t have missed it.

Waiting in front of the slowly crumbling manor stood a lanky, green figure surrounded by familiarly dressed cultists. Based on his different attire and his central position she assumed him to be higher up in the hierarchy. Even though he was a maddened terrorist the fact that he represented some kind of authority should give him more brain capacity than his drone-like underlings. So maybe he wouldn´t immediately attack on sight? It was worth a shot at least.

Soon an identical illusion of her floated over to the edge of the forest and hovered in the air above them while she hid inside a nearby tree. The less distance between her and the illusion the more convincing her trick would be. But she didn’t want to be directly in the line of fire should the cultists possess a super weapon of some kind.

“Greetings. I have come with peaceful intentions.”

Her optical clone opened her arms in a non-threatening manner.

The green man spun around and showed his sickly pale face to her. His eyes were bloodshot and bulged out of his skull while his skin stretched too tight over his skull. For some reason he visibly sniffed the air and broke out into uncomfortable laughter.

“What is this? Could it be? Could it be? A fellow believer in love! Are you the one who was awaited? Hmm?”

The madman was talking and although his words should not be trusted on account of his clearly dysfunctional mental state, it was still a brilliant opportunity to fish for more information. These people were hardly the whole witch´s cult after all. Wherever the other members hid themselves she needed more intel to combat them in the future.

Denying his ramblings could anger him which would terminate the conversation, but pretending to be whoever “the one who was awaited” was could end equally as bad. Just dodging the question should work fine though.

“Perhaps. Awaited by whom, should be the question. You have not yet introduced yourself.”

“Of course! How could I be so forgetful, so lacking, so slothful!”

He began to punch himself so hard that she could hear bones break. Suddenly he stopped his self-mutilation and stood ramrod straight only to sink into a bow so deep that it couldn’t be healthy for his spine. His minions followed suit in perfect unison as if they were lifeless puppets strung along which strengthened the theory of them being mindless.

“I am the sin archbishop representing sloth, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti – DESU!*”

Disgusting. If there were any doubts that she was speaking with a madman then they were now out of the window. That crazed gleam in his eyes as he screamed his own name couldn´t be faked. A maddened fire burned in them that she remembered all too well from her encounters with Mary Sioux.

“And what, if I may ask, are you doing here in my domain? I have a special interest in this place you see.”

What would he want from Emilia or Roswaal? That was the crux of the matter.

“Ah, my love sent me here! It is the will of the witch that we have met today! Can you not feel it? It was destined to be this way!”

What a fool. Humans made their own destiny. By entrusting his fate to the jealous witch he robbed himself of control and evaded responsibility for his actions. That made him not only coward but also an idiot.

Nonetheless she would need to fish deeper after that non-answer of his.

“Mmmhhh” she raised her hand to her chin as if deep in thought. “Could it be that we are indeed here because of the same thing?

“Yes! It must be! The ordeal will commence! Now tell me, are you perhaps pride? The seat has been vacant for some time you see and the scent of love clings to you as thickly as it only would to a sin archbishop!”

Was he insinuating that she had the potential to become a sin archbishop? How dare he! As if she would ever join such a retarded club of lunatics! Especially as the representative of the sin of pride! When did she ever indulge in prideful acts?

Yes, she had pride in being a mature human being with a sense of independence and self-worth, but everybody healthy should treat themselves with dignity like that. All of her decisions in her past two lives had been aimed at being of optimal service to her employers or the population at large. Never had she tried to acquire power simply for becoming more powerful or because she deluded herself into thinking that she was the best possible ruler! She had always just been the least terrible alternative!

How dare he call her prideful after everything she had sacrificed!

Tanya calmed herself by remembering that Petelgeuse was a madman after all. His words were as nonsensical as they were confusing. Still, it would not be good to underestimate his intellect or ruthlessness. He had become a leader figure among a group of people who were undoubtedly as deranged as him or else they wouldn’t have accepted him as the one in charge.

“What do you know about the ordeal? I am not sure what exactly you mean by that? You would share your knowledge of love with me would you?”

She desperately hoped that she had sounded like one of his cult members even though she had no clue what “love” he was talking about. He had mentioned it multiple times so it had to be important.

“You don’t know! YOU DON´T KNOW! How indolent, how ignorant, how SLOTHFUL!”

For a moment Tanya feared that she had wasted her opportunity and would have to kill him before he had depleted his usefulness, but he suddenly seized his angered flailing.

With a strangely empty expression he began to sway from side to side until he threw his hands into the air and deceptively softly proclaimed: “But I will be forgiving of your misdeeds this once! The great witch loves us all after all. Yes, you shall be enlightened by her divine intellect so that you may marvel at how genius the plan is that she has laid out for us.”

His mood swings were so irritating! How anyone would want to work under a boss like him was beyond her.

“The ordeal is a sacred ritual to decide the worth Satella´s next vessel! Only a Halfling of elven descent could be the carrier of her glorious form, so I have been diligently seeking them out wherever I can find them and subjected them to her judgement. If the girl in these walls survives then that proves that she is the chosen one. If not then she was obviously a disgusting, worthless, wicked impostor! Can you see it? The simple brilliance of the ordeal?”

Really that was the plan? Throw everything he could at Emilia to kill her and see if she survives in spite of it? Well, to be honest it kind of reminded her of her own days training her battalion with sustained artillery bombardment and daylong treks through ice and snow. But in her defence, back then she had been closely watching them to ensure that nobody died and she had needed a lot of capable soldiers quickly to shield her from enemy bullets!

Her recruits had received a proper education beforehand and been repeatedly warned of the dangers that they were about to face. None of them had been surprised; or at least they shouldn´t have been!

This man was just wasting the lives of most likely civilians who were in no way, shape or form expecting a surprise attack from dozens of highly capable fighters! At the same time mind you! Even a veteran of her calibre would struggle against that, as worrying as the thought was. This moronic “ordeal” proved absolutely nothing other than civilians were not capable of defeating an overwhelming ambush!

Not to mention, what if he succeeded? What if Satella really received a new body? Wouldn´t she just destroy the other half of the world? The same world that this idiot was unfortunately living on? The jealous witch would kill him too!

At least his delusional screeching had indirectly confirmed that Emilia was still alive. Probably.

“What a sophisticated plan! Truly, you have been blessed by her that she would share something so refined with you.”

“Yes, yes, yes! You understand! Will you now come down to watch as we...”

She had no time to squander with his pointless rambling. Her business partner was in imminent danger.

“No.” she said before an enhanced bullet ripped through his skull, leaving a small, red crater in the lawn behind him. It might have been overkill, but she wouldn´t want to risk it. For good measure she squeezed off a second shot straight through his heart which finally toppled the near headless corpse over.

“Eight bullets in the magazine left.” her subconscious pointed helpfully out.

As she evaded the various fire, ice, earth and air projectiles from the cultists below she wished she had taken her rifle with her. Hopefully her explosive formulas wouldn´t overload the small barrel of her sidearm.

Four average explosions later and her gun was indeed slightly glowing at the very tip. On the plus the side, the ground was now largely cultist (and grass) free. Reinforcements would soon arrive so she would need to make haste. With some luck the other terrorists in the mansion would come to check on their leader and she would have enough time to extract Emilia and possibly the maid before she met up with Rem´s carriage and retreated to the capital. Roswaal should sort out the rest of this mess.

Explosions indoors wouldn’t do her any good though so she holstered her pistol (vainly hoping that the hot metal wouldn’t burn the leather) and drew both her cutlass and her knife. Melee was not her speciality, but she was optimistic that her talent would suffice. More power went to her shield to counteract any ambushes in the enclosed spaces and she was ready to go. Exactly fifteen seconds after she had eliminated Petelgueuse she sped up and smashed through the nearest window.

Where was that damned half-elf hiding?

Note: *= Desu means apparently "I am" or something similar. I had to look it up, because I never understood that part of his introduction. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 41

Where was Emilia? That question got more urgent with every corridor she slaughtered her way through. Hooded figures were streaming out of doors left and right and threw themselves at her with reckless abandon. They truly had no survival instincts. It was as if they were attempting to slow her down regardless of the cost to themselves.

The deeper she ventured into the manor and the redder her clothes were dyed by the oncoming hoards, the colder everything became. Tanya had to layer multiple temperature conservation and isolation formulas over another to keep herself from freezing. How any cultists moved here without supporting magic was an enigma to her.

Another head was parted from its neck and another dagger was reflected to the side when she heard a familiar sounding scream. Raising her tempo she sped around the corner to find the two people she was looking for.

However they were not in a condition she was hoping them to be. Surrounded by literal mountains of corpses Ram was laying unconscious in a corner where the frost was suspiciously not crawling into and Emilia...

Tanya would have never imagined the half-elf to look so... unhinged?

Blood was splattered all over her face and white dress, probably staining it forever. Her eyes were filled with equal parts hatred and fear if her shaking limbs were anything to go by. Although that could also be a result of the crippling coldness in the air. Countless smaller and a few greater wounds littered her body. As soon as her wide eyes spotted Tanya all her energy seemed to vanish and her posture immediately slumped.

“You... Someone... Came...”

And with these words she promptly collapsed to the floor which Tanya bolstered with a lazily conjured barrier formula under the girl´s head. It would be pretty frustrating if she made all the effort to rescue her only to lose her business partner at the last moment because she hit her cranium too hard.

Mana fatigue had most likely taken its toll on the poor girl due to her expending ludicrous amounts of it too freeze half the mansion. Tanya had to admit she was impressed by how long Emilia had managed to uphold such costly spells even though at the end here she seemed to be purely running on spite. Her own mana pool would have definitely not been able to accomplish anything remotely similar without relying on the Type 95.

Cooling something was harder than making it explode after all. One played against the natural entropy of the world while the other sped it up. Not to mention that controlling a small superheated bubble of metal and air was far easier to handle than a whole field of fluctuating temperatures and moisture levels. Emilia was more gifted than she realized. With some training she would be a fine asset and some day... maybe more.

That led to question: Where was Puck? Wasn´t he a great spirit or something? And contracted to protect Emilia in cases like this? Was he dead? Irrelevant for the moment although she would have gladly received some assistance with transporting two injured girls. She was no medic and dead tired on top!

Huffing heavily she lifted Emilia over her shoulder, carful to check if she had any broken ribs beforehand. Even with several enhancement formulas the strain on her body was becoming hardly bearable when she gripped Ram by the collar and attempted the same. There was no way she would be able to run, not to mention fly, like that. Even if she had been in optimal condition that would have been no easy feat.

Which meant that she would need to needed to either both distract and delay the witch´s cult until Rem´s carriage arrived or she would need to kill them before that.

Two seconds was all it took for a decision to form in her enhancement fuelled brain and she sat down the two unconscious girls she was carrying. Going over to a nearby sofa she attempted to pull it, but the legs were frozen to the floor and subsequently splintered at her forceful tug like paper. Well, that was not really an inconvenience for Tanya.

Her living cargo was transferred to the couch where she did her best to staunch the worst flesh wounds so that they wouldn´t immediately die on her. Rem´s healing would have to do the rest. Afterwards she started pulling the makeshift stretcher along the hallway which was thankfully pretty easy due to the thin layer of ice everywhere. Hypothermia would kill the girls before blood loss at this point.

Clearing cultist bodies from her path with powerful kicks left and right was slowing her down, but she was making good progress in her opinion considering that she had to keep an eye out and a hand free for any stragglers that she had missed.

The window to the front lawn (and thus the road to the village) was just a few dozen metres away when a lone figure stepped in front of it. He wore the same unmistakable manic grin as the archbishop she had just killed minutes earlier. Furthermore he differentiated himself from the other cultists by not wearing a mask as well. Was he a different sin archbishop? Reflexively she drew her pistol and shot, but the bullet seemed to halt mid air until it all of a sudden exploded.

“False apostle of her love, we meet again! Do not think you could escape me so easily. You dare to insult her by trying to stop me? How foolish. To let death come in the way of duty would be most slothful.”

Ok, the guy rambled way too much. Had he already forgotten how she had killed his colleague? This invisible barrier that he was now using was a problem though. Her next response to circumvent the barrier would be to fire above his head and collapse the ceiling, but the building was unstable enough and she really didn´t want to dig her way through tons of stone and wood right now.

Retreating down the hallway was also not an option, because of her cargo so she did the next best thing and aimed her weapon at the floor.

Ice, burnt carpet, wood and marble splinters exploded against her flaring shield formula while she did her best to get away as far as possible under the cover of the smoke. With haste she dragged the two bleeding girls behind her to the next door and threw it open. Only, one of them couldn´t be moved. Perplexed she looked down and saw Ram´s foot unnaturally dangling in the air.

“What?” was all she could think before the maid was brutally yanked backwards, out of her grasp.

Something formed a tunnel in the dust cloud, but what it was she could not discern. Then the smoke was blown away as if it was fanned by invisible hands. What was happening? Another two precious shots were wasted when they uselessly detonated in mid air without ever reaching their target.

“I see... Such conviction, such determination... But at the end you couldn´t save your little friend here.” The lunatic said as Ram dangled by her ankle in front of him.

“Do you see that her gift, the power of love, trumps all your pathetic attempts? To try so hard, but ultimately fail... How slothful.” he grinned as Rams entire leg twisted in his invisible grasp.

Tanya needed to get out of here fast. The maid had become an unfortunate casualty.

Canon Omake: Where is the Colonel?  

“Where is she? Where?”

The general staff room was in uproar. Worry and tension were written clearly on all faces present.

“I don´t know Sir. Nobody has seen even a glimpse of her since she went to her room in the Aurdé Hotel.” the messenger reported.

“I want every available mage of her battalion to search of her. Turn the whole city upside down if you have to!”

“But Sir, they´re already doing that! Our scanners aren´t picking up her magical signature and her personal frequency has been inactive since forty seven hours!”

“Of course you aren’t going her that way! She is the best soldier in the damn Empire!”

“If you can´t find her that way then monitor all train stations and airports in the country. She can´t be staying in the air forever if she is indeed using magic to hide from us.”

“It´s probably too late for that. She could be anywhere at this point! Who knows what she has been up to!”

The thought of an unsupervised Tanya von Degurechaff gone rogue made Rerugen´s stomach churn.

“Remember the Dacia campaign? She ended the war on that front in one day! In one fucking day! Whatever she has planned cannot be stopped by the likes of us.”

“Yeah. Degurechaff has a nasty habit of delivering uncompromising results. We will only be able to react to her actions afterwards. Only god himself has any chance of beating her in real fights or strategy games.”

“Then maybe we should focus more on what she could be doing right now.”

“I reckon it´s a secret mission from the Kaiser.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Oh come on Rerugen. Isn´t it obvious? She is loyal as a dog, battle-crazed as a valkyrie and smart as a fox. She is the darling of the Empire, our greatest asset. So much so, that the men have began calling her the imperial symbol of victory even! She´s a one man army! Of course the Kaiser is gonna send her on a mission he doesn´t want us to know about. Who else? If it’s more than a few people then there´s a risk that it’s going to come out. A secret is only a secret as long as only one person knows after all.”

Rudersdorf took a deep, calming drag from his cigar and slowly exhaled the smoke.

“She just recently got promoted to Colonel. Has more medals than fit on her coat and has shown time and time again that she would sacrifice her own life for our nation! Someone like Degurechaff wouldn´t run away and desert in the last few minutes of war. If we´re being honest, she is basically responsible for ending it in the first place! The Kaiser is only one with higher authority than ourselves so he must be the one who ordered her to disappear.”

“Mmmm... I can´t quite disagree, my old friend.”

“Ha! I'm not that old.”

“Of course that would only be the most logical conclusion if we assume that Colonel Degurechaff has gone AWOL voluntarily.”

“You don´t mean...”

“Yes, indeed. The Colonel has always been remarkable professional and level-headed despite her age. Even if the Kaiser had personally sent her on an urgent mission she would have left a note to detail her absence. This is completely unlike her.”

“Are you saying she has been abducted?”

Zettour nodded solemnly.

“Preposterous! Who could kidnap the White Silver? Those Russy Dogs and the damned Republicans couldn´t do it when they still had thousands to throw at her! How would they manage to accomplish the impossible so deep in enemy territory?”

“They didn´t.” said Rerugen.

“Huh?”

“Gentlemen, it seems we have a traitor among our troupes.” he continued gravely.

“No...”

“The Argent has been betrayed and sold out by one of our own men. Most likely the Unified States have pushed for this, because they are getting desperate and want to make up for their losses by holding Degurechaff at ransom. They could even try to execute her for supposed war crimes should we not agree to their conditions in the upcoming peace treaty.” Zettour explained.

“That would be insane! She is just one soldier!”

“Yet at the same time they know that she is much more for us than that. Morale would plummet should we lose our symbol of victory. Maybe the Russy would even try again now that their most feared enemy is no longer able to crush them. As much as pains me to say, we need the Argent until the war is officially over.” Rerugen answered while adjusting his glasses.

“Ow, I think I'm getting a headache.”

“Don´t we all.”

“Damn it you monster! Causing me trouble even when you aren´t even there!” thought Rerugen.

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Meanwhile the Salamander Kampfgruppe was in a similar state of unrest.

“Where could she be? Where would the Colonel hide?”

“She has probably found a nest of rebels or insurrectionists and is singlehandedly rooting them out. You know how she is. Thos poor sods are going to live through hell on earth! Ha!”

“I'm telling you! She´s been kidnapped!”

“That doesn´t make it better!”

“Yeah but...”

“I don´t want to hear it!” roared Victoriya. “Silence, you all!”

Her voice had an edge to it that instinctively quieted everyone down who had seen her “Mr. Shovel” in action.

“What would the Colonel think of us if we were running around like a bunch of headless chickens? She would be disappointed!”

Everybody shivered. Nobody wanted to disappoint their commander.

“We have searched every room in the hotel and have flown over every quadrant of the city. The woods nearby have been combed through by me personally and no one has picked up even a hint of her magical signature.”

Many frowned or nodded grimly.

“That is why we must widen our search. Take provisions for a week and form pairs of two. Patrol above main streets and cities in a one hundred kilometre radius. Stay in frequent contact and keep an eye out for any people that look like her or show any other sign of suspicious behaviour. Just like she taught us: Code Alpha 3766 – Scatter and Observe. Is that clear?”

“YES MA´AM!”

Strictly speaking Viktoriya had not the ultimate authority to order such manoeuvres, but as the Argent´s aid and the one person who knew her the most they accepted her judgement. It wasn´t like they didn’t want to find their leader as soon as possible after all. Even though they feared her, they also trusted their Colonel with their lives. She was the woman who had made them who they were today; the elite of the elite, the best combat mages in history.

“Don´t worry Tanya, I will find you. Even if it takes my life. For without you I am nothing.” vowed Viktoriya to herself. If she had to rip the whole world apart to get to her love, so be it.

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Schugel whimpered silently in his bed. The past few days he had been inconsolable. They told him to stop moping and get back to work; to eat and smile, but how could he? The comforting presence at the back of his head was gone. The light of god that had gifted him with divine inspiration was absent. His soul felt like he was being swallowed by darkness never to return from it.

Later historians would link his life-ending depression to the disappearance of the Argent. How right they had been, they would never truly know.

Chapter Text

Chapter 42

The sounds of bones crunching and dying screams were still ringing in her ears as she threw Emilia through the door and jumped after her. This hasty retreat had obviously been the right decisions as no later than a heartbeat afterwards the doorframe was reduced to splinters by the same invisible force that was tearing Ram apart at the moment.

Whatever magic the presumed brother of Petelgeuse was using was strong enough to break a human body and stop her bullets. Emilia was still unconscious despite her rough landing on the carpet so that meant she would be of no use in a fight due to severe mana exhaustion.
Overall Tanya´s chances weren´t good in the confrontation that would no doubt ensue in a few seconds. Her overworked, overcharged brain was desperately searching for a solution to a problem that she had not the time to even fully describe.

If directly attacking the super-cultist was not effective than she just would have to do it indirectly. Had she had a moment to prepare, she could have perhaps initiated a hot enough fire to burn the oxygen in the hallway and suffocate her enemy, but such a death would take too long anyway. Collapsing the building was no option with Emilia directly behind her. A thrown knife had no guarantee to penetrate his invisible shield, even with a mage blade.

Suddenly a stray idea from the depth of her subconscious hit her. Years ago she had once discussed it in a theoretical paper about guerrilla warfare as a last resort for undersupplied mages. It was risky and stupid and overall horribly inefficient, but she was desperate. Hastily she fished a spare magazine from her pocket and drew a basic heat array around it.

The madman outdoors was spouting some arrogant bullshit, but she had no time to listen as she completed the spell and charged it with as much energy she could muster in a pinch. All that excess mana was held inside a purposely shoddy storage formula that instantly began to rapidly degrade. This was it, an improvised hand grenade.

With exert precision she threw the slowly overheating magazine outside so that it would slide over the floor in the direction of the still babbling cultist.

“But you can never hide for long from the... Huh? Is that supposed to be a –“

“BOOM” thundered the sound of a dozen bullets simultaneously going off in several different directions. One even ricocheted off her own mage shell.

Tanya didn´t wait to confirm if she had gotten him, but instead reloaded her pistol lightning fast with the last clip she had on her person and pushed the most powerful penetrating formula she could into the next shot. To maximize her potential of hitting him she aimed for where she calculated his torso to be and fired blindly. Once again desperation led her hand.

Faintly she registered that the inside of her mouth tasted of blood, because she pushed herself too hard, but the logical conclusion of that thought was promptly ignored. A basic optic formula reflected the light around the corner and showed, to her immense relief, that she had at least partially succeeded. No one was standing upright in the corridor which was a good sign. Nonetheless did she send an illusionary clone out first to check if he was just faking his demise.

Only after a few moments of tense waiting did she finally step out into the destroyed hallway to look at her handiwork. She really had not needed to fear a trick from her enemy.

As a side effect of her wall-penetrating shot the flesh in the area where he had been hit had completely been evaporated from the ultra-high-temperature beam. Because the fluids inside his body had instantly been vaporized which had led to his blood vessels expanding and rupturing, he was now a nearly unrecognizable pile of steaming meat. It was genuinely hard to tell his inside and outside apart.

Although this technique had been effective at killing Petelgeuse´s accomplice, it had also taken up a considerable amount of mana. She wouldn´t last much longer if anymore of those super powered freaks showed up.

“What a mess.” Tanya sighed.

Slinging the unresponsive half-elf over her aching shoulder once more she made her way over to the blown out window and jumped straight down.

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If Rem had been panicked before she was now outright catatonic. The emotions she had been feeling from her sister had gradually gotten weaker and weaker, but now they had turned to pure pain and fear before completely cutting off.

Her beloved sister was d-

No! She would not think about it! As long as she breathed she would not give up her only family. There was still hope. She owed to Ram to not write her off as d- ... lost.

Thanks to her driving the ground dragon ragged they had finally reached the village and the sit made her nauseous. Corpses upon corpses of innocent villagers lined the streets. The hl had been violated in the worst ways imaginable. Even the children.

Rem had never known them well or particularly cared for them, but the horrid sight reminded her of her own past.

Burning houses.

Whenever she had come here to buy supplies the elders had smiled at her.

The smell of blood from her dying parents.

Subaru had gathered all the kids around and they had played a game together.

Cries of despair in the starless night.

Petra had laughed so much when she caught her.

Her sister getting hurt.

Now they were all dead.

Because she had been too slow.

Too weak.

Too selfish.

She was damned to repeat the sins of her past over and over it seemed. Again everything had been taken from her and despite all her growth she was still powerless to stop it. The shame, the fury, the misery were becoming too much to suppress.

Her hands shook from rage as she finally lost control over her instincts.

Hatred and anguish pushed her humanity aside and forced a glowing, white horn out of her forehead. All the mana in the vicinity was sucked in and only further fuelled the raging Oni. Like a swirling vortex of vengeance her mind revolved entirely around violence. Her whole being became a weapon without the capacity for clear thought or compassion.

She didn´t care anymore that the carriage was threatening to topple over from all the corpses in its way. She didn´t care that Subaru was sobbing from somewhere behind her. She didn´t care that she was breaking her promise to remain level headed.

All that mattered to her was to punish the villains who had sullied her life with their evil. Nothing could be more important to her than to hear them scream in agony, crush their bones and bathe in their blood.

If seen from the right angle her eyes would have looked like they blazing with crimson light to an outside observer.

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Subaru had never felt so ill in his life. He thought that he had sunken to the deepest pits of hell before, but as always destiny loved to prove him wrong and subject him to something even more horrible. The first “worst moment of his entire existence” had been slowly bleeding out in an alleyway after a couple of thugs had robbed him blind. Then the next had been getting tortured by Rem in the woods. The one after that had been when he was forced to watch as the mabeasts ripped the village children apart.

But none of them came close to the soul-crushing dread he felt upon witnessing the massacre of Irlam village. It was... indescribable. No words could do it justice. Bile rose in his throat and he retched out of the window. Directly the next moment he felt even worse, because he had probably just vomited on a dead person. How much more disrespectful could you get.

All his hard work to save them had been meaningless. All the happy hours he had spent with Petra and the others were now a thing of the past. He would be the only one to remember them. Their hopes and dreams had been extinguished before their time. They would never laugh and squeak in joy again when he told them funny stories or showed them magic tricks.

Unbeknownst to him tears had begun to steam down his cheeks. He was far too shocked to register his surroundings anymore.

Everything was his fault. If he hadn´t been so reckless in using his gate then he wouldn´t need healing and Rem and he would not have left the mansion. He could have been there to save them all! Now it was too late!

Too late...

But...

He could prevent it, couldn´t he?

Bit by bit an ice-cold realization set in.

With Return by Death he could make it as if it never happened. It would be alone his responsibility. Only he would need to suffer.

His hope was short-lived however as he really thought about it. Would he even be fast enough? They had needed several hours to travel here and they already went as fast as they could. How could he be even quicker than that?

Tanya! Yes, she could fly! She would be able to reach the village in time and evacuate it! She already believed that he had some sort of foresight ability so she would definitely trust his word! It was the perfect plan! At least the best he could come up with at the moment.

Would the villagers believe her though? They had been hesitant to believe him at first too, because he was a stranger at the time. They wouldn’t recognize Tanya and that would cost them precious time. Time they most likely didn’t have.

Maybe Rem could fly with her? She would manage to convince the elders seeing as she was a trusted employee of their liege. Provided that Tanya would be able to lift her. How much did the Oni girl weigh anyway? Hopefully she wouldn´t misinterpret the question.

“Rem, do you... Rem? Where are you?”

The driver seat was empty.

“Oh no...”

Chapter Text

Chapter 43

Despite her taking Emilia´s weight into account the landing on the grass below was a hard one. The front gates were only a stone throw away and then she would be out of here. Technically, flying towards Rem would be the safer alternative compared to walking on the ground, but Tanya was not sure if she could reliably carry Emilia in her state.

Should the cultist have hidden snipers in the forest to intercept her retreat then she would not be able to dodge them while carrying a payload far heavier than herself. Yes, the half-elf was only around twenty centimetres bigger than her, but a lifetime of healthy nutrition made one hell of a difference. Normally that wouldn´t be a problem, but Tanya was fatigued and was constantly wasting more mana than she was comfortable with just to lift Emilia.

Her shields might be able to tank the damage, but she would not risk the wellbeing of her business partner after everything she had suffer through today. As soon as she reached the forest she would be able to hide herself anyway with the use of illusions and other optic formulae. So she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage for long.

A problem with that however were the dark silhouettes seemingly growing out of the ground. How many more witch cultist were there? The strength that they had mustered to attack one person was obscene. In a way it reminded her of the “good old days” when allied mages had started similar witch hunts on herself. (Only with less success.)

It almost appeared to become a pattern with these lunatics when the terrorist in the middle stepped forward and took off her hood.

“There you are! Most shamefully you are disrespecting her gift by stopping the ordeal! Killing my fingers, destroying my vessels! It is UNFORGIVABLE!”

The maniac began to bite harshly on her fingers and quickly tore the skin away. She had the same hyper-energetic voice and similar deranged mannerisms to the other two abnormal cultists Tanya had encountered. Could it be...?

She had spoken about her killing “vessels” of some sort. What if the first sin archbishop she killed hadn´t really been dead, but instead transferred his consciousness into different hosts? Back in the Empire she wouldn´t even have thought about such a possibility in her wildest dreams, but the magic of this world was pretty ludicrous.

Considering that the psycho in the hallway had spoken to her with some degree of familiarity this theory made startlingly much sense. If Petelgeuse was indeed transferring his mind from one body to the next how would she be able to kill him in that case? Tanya herself would have always hidden away at least a dozen possible hosts in protected or hard to reach locations if she possessed an ability like that. That way her survival would be reassured even against impossible odds.

Petelgeuse on the other hand was a screeching madman with an unhealthy fixation on the witch of envy. He was certainly not a complete idiot, but his rationality was fairly limited. So she made a calculated guess that he wouldn´t act on what was the most logical strategy in battle. The way all these hooded cultists had nearly thrown themselves on her blade minutes earlier was the proof of that.

His obsession was his greatest weakness and she intended to exploit it. Combined with his unquenchable desire to monologue she would stall for time until the perfect moment to attack presented itself.

“And who are you to say that what she has told you is the truth about the ordeal? Could you ever truly comprehend envy´s plans? No, of course not! Can´t you see that we all are playing our part here?”

She had just indirectly called herself a witch cultist which disgusted her to no end, but the only person present who could accuse her of treachery was Emilia who was still knocked out cold. Hopefully Petelgeuse would take the bait and construct the rest of the story in his head without her input. A typical fallacy for untrained minds.

“No... It can´t be... You were a believer all along? What game is this... I will have to consult her wisdom.”

His host body stuck her arm into her robes and began to search for something. Much to his apparent dissatisfaction he couldn´t find whatever he was looking for.

“Where is it? Where is my Gospel?”

He grabbed a nearby goon and shook him as if he knew the answer to his problem. It was quite pathetic in Tanya´s opinion how he blamed his own shortcomings on his staff. Only a bad boss would do something like that instead of looking inwards and searching for self-improvement opportunities.

“Where is my cherished, treasured, wonderful sign of her love? WHERE?”

Petelgeuse had shaken the cultist so hard that his neck broke and he lifelessly fell to the floor. If he already had so little self-control then riling him up further shouldn´t be difficult. Whatever he had lost was probably important. His personal prayer book perhaps?

“What? Do you have lost your Gospel? And you call yourself a sin archbishop? What would she say about that?”

Judging from the way his vessel´s face went pale and he froze mid motion it seemed to have worked.

“No... No, no, no, NO, NOOOOOO! I am unworthy of her love! I have failed her!” he screamed so loud that she wondered how he hadn´t ruptured the vocal chords of his host.

His words soon became incoherent as he mutilated himself in a sickening fashion. Pieces of flesh, hair and blood were falling around him on the grass. If Tanya hadn´t already seen far worse during the war then she would have had to avert her eyes from the repulsive sight.

Instead she used all her known search and detection spells to find out more about the nature of his mysterious invisible force field. He was so distracted that she even dared to use the most obvious to detect ones, because he certainly didn´t look like he was running counter interference at the moment. Bafflingly all the results she got back were either negative or inconclusive.

Either Petelgeuse was a far better mage than she had given him credit for or he was completely defenceless right now.

This continued until he suddenly froze in place and slowly turned his head to the side. There a few dozen metres away laid the remains of his original body surrounded by body parts and craters from Tanya´s first battle on the mansion grounds. Like an animal he fell on all fours and crawled with frightening speed towards the corpse before he exclaimed gleefully:
“Yes! I have not failed! I still have it! Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me!”

Excitedly he held a small black book into the air as if that had been a huge achievement. Honestly, if Petelgeuse went through this whole body-switch routine every once in a while then he should have known that his material possessions didn´t carry over. His incompetence was bordering on Being X´s level.

“Had it not been for your reminder a terrible catastrophe would have come over me. You are truly inspiring me with your diligence! How thoughtful!”

Would you look at that.

She had a fan.

Her hand twitched over the grip of her pistol reflexively.

“Let´s see... Um... I cannot find anything the foretells of a different plan...”

Oh no. Had she been exposed so easily? Was he receiving his instructions through this book? Tanya wanted to punch something. Why was the magic of this world so stupid? Nothing here could be taken for granted, because literally anything was possible thanks to lack of common sense in the universal rules. Being X must have designed it that way in order to upset her scientific mind. He would do that, spiteful bastard that he was.

Alright, time for damage control.

“Not to disagree with you, but don´t you think a secret plan can only be secret as long as nobody knows about it? You have your orders and I have mine. Obviously your gospel wouldn’t tell you what mine has told me.”

“Indeed... Then you wouldn´t mind showing me yours, would you?”

Crap. Deflect! Fast!

“You also haven´t shown me yours.”

...

Tense silence filled the air and Tanya prepared herself for combat.

...

“Ha! How true! Hahaha ha. I apologize for doubting you. As someone of your rank you obviously wouldn´t show your gospel to anybody else. You have proven yourself and I humbly ask for forgiveness for not believing it sooner.”

Huh? That easy? If she should convince him to let her go they might even end this conflict without further bloodshed.

Like in their first meeting he nearly bent in half as bowed to her.

“Welcome sin archbishop representing pride.”

Tanya would have used the situation to her advantage by further strengthening the narrative had not suddenly a metal ball on a chain narrowly missed her location. Only precise dodging saved her passive shields from suffering a massive hit. What the hell? Who was...

Rem?

“TRAITOR!” shouted the enraged maid.

Tanya hadn´t even time to wonder what the glowing thing on her forehead was before she had to leap backwards in order to avoid the next strike. Not an easy feat to accomplish with an unconscious half-elf on her back.

This whole mess had just become a whole lot more complicated.

Chapter Text

Chapter 44

Well, her attempted covert operation had failed in the most spectacular fashion possible. By pretending to be a witch cultist in order to escape Petelgeuse and his minions she had led her own ally to believe that she was actually part of the enemy´s faction. How unfortunate.

Tanya still supported her initial decision to deceive the sin archbishop, for it had been the most logical option at the time. Ideally she would have avoided facing a numerically superior force in relatively unknown terrain and a priority target strapped to her back. Not to mention that their leader could apparently revive himself near infinitely and she was running low on bullets.

Now though her plan had backfired, but was not completely unsalvageable. She doubted that she could realistically convince Rem of her innocence in a timely manner while simultaneously escaping. Even if she could, she had good reason not to try. In the worst case Rem wouldn´t believe her, but Petelgeuse would and she would need to defend herself against both parties as a result.

Seeing as there were far more witch cultists than maids on the battlefield she would not risk souring her relations with the deranged psychopaths. Still, she could not allow them to kill Rem or that would paint her as an accomplice in their crimes. Tanya could already hear the voice of the judge in her ear asking her why she didn´t save her ally if she wasn´t actually a criminal.

So she needed to find a way to both not blow her cover and keep the madmen from killing her. (At least until she was out of eyesight.)

“Don´t kill her! She is part of the plan!”

A statement that was made all the more ridiculous when said person was busy slaughtering cult members in droves right in front of their eyes.

“Huh? Truly? Sadly I fear that I cannot allow her to further destroy the loyal tools of her will. If they are all dead they will not be able to serve her. And to not repay her love would be most slothful!”

Dead workers were the worst kind of worker. It seemed he could realize the worth of his subservient employees after all.

“Then only immobilize her. I will handle the rest.”

Hopefully Roswaal would forgive the possible mutilation of one of his servants. Although this unpleasant affair was arguable his fault for not protecting his land properly. He had the duty to make sure that nothing major like a full blown invasion happened in his domain. A duty he had outrageously neglected by not leaving behind a single guard to care for a royal candidate out in the woods! Honestly, in the Empire he would have been court martialed for gross incompetence.

Petelgeuse´s host body turned sharply to face the rampaging maid and Tanya´s sensory formulas went haywire. However only the motion and pressure based ones detected anything, but the purely magic focused ones didn´t pick up any signals at all. Tanya had only a few seconds to wonder about the strangeness of whatever he was using before she could see some of the dust particles in the air mysteriously divert their path.

The blue haired maid was truly a ferocious fighter who moved far faster than a normal unaugmented human could. Her strength and control were also extremely impressive which she masterfully demonstrated through the use of her Morningstar. Honestly if the girl had sufficient magical aptitude and switched to a more sensible weapon then Tanya would have welcomed her with open arms into her personal battalion. Although her anger management perhaps required some work.

Nonetheless was she no match for Petelgeuse´s strange (somehow non-magical!) force field. She was just about top swing down the massive spiked ball on some absolutely deserving cultist´s head when she as well as the chain stopped in mid air. Just like Tanya´s bullets had done a couple minutes ago.

Tanya´s current theory classified his ability as a computation-less, chant-less projection of an unknown, seemingly not mana dependent force. The easiest way to imagine it was as if he had invisible arms surrounding him that could shield him and grasp solid objects. They were almost definitely semi-solid as Petelgeuse could conjure and dismiss them at will.

When they were active they presumably connected back to his body, although that could also be a misinterpretation of her extremely limited data. Observing the dirt particles in the wind was hardly the best way to define the outlines of his invisible projection.

Regardless of how his ability functioned she didn´t want to make contact with it the same way poor Ram had done. In the likely event that he would make an attempt to grasp her or Emilia with his “arms” she needed some sort of smokescreen to make his position visible. Without a smoke grenade...

Ah...

All the stress had made her forget Beatrice´s lessons already. Under the many spells that had been mentioned in her books an “Shamak” was ideal for this role. Not only would it reveal his “arms” but also blind and disorient him if hit. It was literally perfect.

With resolve in her voice she called out to the grinning Petelgeuse before he could start a new tirade: “Please just knock her out. There is no need to harm her. That would be a waste.”

She could have sworn he pouted for a moment before his grin returned. A seemingly random jerk of her head ended her struggle and the maid went limp in his imperceptible grasp.

“Indeed, indeed. Such diligence. Perhaps she has not understood how loved she is? Her diligence could serve our cause well.”

Tanya resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The lunatic was annoyingly persistent with his platitudes.

“Yes. I will take her under my care and explain to her to the truth. After a while even the most stubborn mind must understand reality.”

She didn´t even need to lie. That was exactly what she intended to do. After a good night´s sleep of course. If Rem spread misinformation around then nasty rumours could develop that damaged her reputation.

“Marvellous! So thoughtful! So attentive! Bringing more souls into her service is a noble goal.”

So far everything had gone extraordinarily well. Rem had shown up not even a minute ago which meant that the carriage was somewhere nearby. Her escape was almost in arms reach.

“I would appreciate it you could set her down. I am going to handle her from now on.”

He complied and Tanya tentatively made her way over to the madman. Even if he believed her to be on his side she still didn’t trust him. Petelgeuse could snap at any moment and decide to kill her for any number of idiotic reasons. Careful not to let her precaution show on her face she picked the maid up and hefted her over her other shoulder. Her eyes did not leave his position as she slowly backed away towards the front gates.

Despite her relaxed smile she was inwardly shaking from both exertion and anxiety. What could go wrong on the last few metres?

“Forgive me Pride, but you cannot leave with the vessel candidate. Leave the half-elf here.”

Shit.

Plan B.

“Petelgeuse! Oh no! Look over there!”

He twisted his neck to look where she was pointing and was promptly turned into a human piñata by her trusty sidearm. Truthfully Tanya was not even surprised that he fell for the oldest trick in the book. She guessed that carelessness was a side effect of practical immortality.

The game was up and deception would no longer work so she bolted as fast as she could to the exit. Simultaneously two less than photorealistic illusions rushed out in different directions. They were hastily made and would not hold for long, but their function was only to divert the initial fire of the remaining cultists.

Her muscles ached and burned, but she pushed on with as much strength as her enhancement formulas could give her. Mana was being used up fast. Time was running out. Where was the damned carriage?

Fireballs and daggers were largely missing her, but a few managed to hit which consumed more energy than normal, because her shields were already weakened from having to cover two more bodies. The situation was getting direr by the second.

“El Shamak” she almost cried out.

Behind her a huge black cloud blocked the line of sight to her pursuers and gave Tanya enough time to reach the gates. There! The coach was rapidly approaching on the road. Soon she could load off her charges and delay the cultists afterwards until they got back to safety.

Subaru and her useless guard were sitting on the front seat and looked appropriately alarmed at the situation.

Nearly there.

Everything could still end well.

Nearly there.

Nearly there.

Suddenly from one moment to the next her strained shield was shattered in an instant and she was thrown through the air. She made an attempt to stabilize herself with a flight spell, but before she got the chance her whole body was gripped tightly by an invisible power...

Oh no.

Petelgeuse had hidden away more vessels in the woods.

She was fucked.

“You are unworthy of her love. You thought you could so easily deceive me? Wrong.”

Pain.

A scream.

Unimaginable pain.

Nearly all her bones were crunched at the same time.

Only her enhancement formulas allowed her to stay conscious and register that she was fling in the direction of the carriage.

A hard impact, but she barely noticed.

Subaru was saying something that she couldn´t understand over the rushing of blood in her ears.

A loud ripping sound.

More pain.

Was she dying?

After all this time...

This was how her existence would end?

Disappointment weighed harder on her mind than the agony of her crushed rib cage and failing internal organs.

“F-Fuck you...” she whispered with the last air in her collapsed lungs. If she could she would have laughed in Being X´s stupid face, but she lacked the energy for it.

The pain dulled...

Her vision dimmed...

And Tanya von Degurechaff died.

Chapter Text

Chapter 45

Subaru was frozen. It was as if his blood had turned into lead and his bones into stone. The whole world was spinning uncontrollably around him and he was stuck in the middle of it, helplessly watching.

He had already vowed to himself to reset this loop in order to save the villagers, but he had nonetheless hoped that he could make it out alive. Everything had gone – well, not good, but also not too bad. At least he had hope when he saw Tanya closing the distance between her and the carriage at incredible speeds.

Then out of nowhere she had been picked up and crushed! Emilia and Rem had both been ripped from her back and dangled in the air like puppets. His mouth was already open in a silent scream, but his despair suffocated any sound that he could have made as Tanya was thrown in his direction only to hit him full force squarely in the chest. Blood spluttered from her moth in alarming quantities and painted the right side of his face red (although he barely noticed that). He had to watch in detail how the cerulean energy in her big, expressive eyes dulled and her breathing stopped.

His head lifted like he was on autopilot to observe both the two most important people in life being torn to shreds mid air. Their bodies were twisted and bent in impossiple angles. Skin rippend and skeletons broke in the most vile ways. And he did nothing.

He could do nothing.

Only stare in absolute horror at the man who had stepped onto the dirt pathway and grinned in glee at the mess of flesh and bone he had created.

“Oi, why are you sitting there so unmoved? Why are you looking so slothful?”

He could only stare, because he was useless. He couldn´t have helped any of them. He had done nothing.

“No answer, mmmhh? The man besides you was clever enough to at least attempt an escape, futile as it will be once my loyal fingers capture him. We can´t leave witnesses after all, you see? Do you understand?”

Tanya was so much more powerful than him. Beatrice, Puck, Rem... They all were so much stronger – so much better – than him and even their efforts had obviously not been enough. What could he do to help? He was utterly useless.

Suddenly the man who had killed the love of his life in front of his eyes stood mere meters from him and was leaning forwards. How he had managed to cross the distance so quickly did not interest Subaru in the slightest. His eyes still stared unblinking and unseeing forwards.

“Mmmmhhh? Are you so trapped in your own pathetic grief that you cannot bring yourself to act? Hmhh? To squander the sacrifice of your compatriots uselessly... How disgusting...” the cultists hissed with contempt.

He was disgusting, wasn´t he? He had no chance to save those he cared about. Not all of them. Because he was a waste of skin. A true good-for-nothing. An absolute piece of shit.

“Are you blaming yourself for their demise? How strange... Instead of raging and protesting and fighting you sit here and wallow in your perceived pain. So sad, so weak, so SLOTHFUL!” he yelled directly in Subaru´s face. Spittle hit his cheek, but he made no move to clean it.

“I cannot understand that. However I know that your very existence is an insult to my diligence that I display every day to service my love!”

He was a disgrace.

“I will not suffer your wretched being any longer”

“Crunch”

And Subaru Natsuki died.

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“It´s sister!” cried a familiar voice.

Strange. Tanya had imagined the afterlife differently. Well, to be fair she had not expected anything to follow her death. Only endless nothingness and oblivion.

“I can feel her through our connection and she is... afraid.”

What? What was happening?

She could feel the sunlight on her face and a cool breeze blowing over her skin. Everything felt so... real? And why was Rem here? Of all the people she had to put up with directly after losing her life it had to be the indirect reason for said loss. Typical.

“Ram is never afraid. Something terrible must have happened at the mansion.”

WHAT? Tanya´s eyes shot wide open. She remembered those words. They were repeating!

On no.

Had Being X trapped her in purgatory; or whatever demented version of hell he had created for her? Was she damned to repeat the last moments of her existence for all eternity? Was this his sick punishment for not being a devoted little puppet to serve his every narcissistic desire? If so then she would not play to his petty revenge fantasy!

“Damn it!” she cursed.

Tanya looked around and saw that all eyes were on her. Crush and her army were watching with barely hidden interest and Subaru seemed to be in open shock.

“Again? That was the best you could come up with to torture me?” she asked exasperated.

They still stared at her like she was crazy.

“Umm... W-What?” said Rem. Subaru was gazing with strangely empty eyes at her.

That hadn´t happened before. They were supposed to be just apparitions of her subconscious to re-enact her last moments, were they not? Could she be misinterpreting the situation?

A terrifying thought wormed its way to the forefront of her mind: “What if this was reality?”

Oh...

However she couldn´t possibly prove that...

If this was real then she needed to act accordingly or else be labelled as a madwoman. After all this could be a ploy of Being X to drive her insane. If this was truly an illusion then she would need to find a way out if such an exit even existed. Before that however she would need to look like she was playing his stupid, little games to lull the bastard into a false sense of security.

Either way she needed to act normal. Did it even matter if this was reality or not if she could not distinguish it from the real world? As far as she knew this whole trip to Lugnica could all be a dream. Better play it safe.

“I apologize for my outburst. The fight against the White Whale has been demanding of me.”

She had already proven that she was able to make small changes. Why not test how far the limits of this simulation went (if it was one).

“Rem I have reason to believe that the mansion is under attack by the witch´s cult. This is a problem to big for us to handle.”

She turned to Crusch.

“Lady Crusch, as a fellow royal candidate for the throne of Lugnica I hereby formally request your aid in vanquishing the organization known as the witch´s cult and to protect the innocents of this country. Margrave Mathers has left his territory and is unable to protect the people under his care. It is now up to us to stand for order and justice wherever we find it lacking. Know that I will not think ill of you should you refuse, but that I would be overjoyed to receive your assistance. Furthermore, should you be interested in creating an alliance between our camps then I would be most excited for a conversation on the matter when we return to the capital. Let us engage in jolly cooperation.“

The green-haired woman seemed to sink deep into thought and then looked back at her men.

“We had originally come here to rid the world of one evil. Now that we found it already defeated I don´t think we can return tonight without our blades serving our beloved nation in some other fashion. How could we permit the witch´s cult to go about their foul deed unpunished? What do you say my warriors? Do we spill their rotten blood and save our countrymen?”

“AHOOO!” roared her army in unison.

Tanya nodded in respect. It had been quite the inspiring speech. She herself had held many similar ones in the past. (Although instead of cultists they had slaughtered communists.)

“On foot or on ground dragon back we will not be fast enough. Follow the road towards Irlam village and be prepared for possible ambushes. I am going to fly ahead to delay them as long as possible.“

“Let´s see if I can change things from last time... What will you do then Being X? I won´t play by your rules asshole. You´ll never break me.” she thought to herself vengefully.

Chapter Text

Chapter 46

Tanya felt refreshed. Well, she was still fatigued, but she felt leagues better than when she had pushed her magic to the limit a couple minutes ago. Now after her fresh restart her energy reserves were not as empty and as a result she was thinking more clearly. The difference was stark compared to the exhaustion which had become very noticeable in the last moments before her demise.

Her demise...

What a weird thought. Being X had promised her that no further reincarnations would be happening after her second death in the empire. Of course he was a manipulative egomaniac who couldn´t be trusted, but he had also never directly lied to her about his intentions. It would be highly unusual for him to openly adapt to change and alter his “infallible” plans this desperately. So it was logical to assume that she either hadn´t in fact died or everything she saw and felt was not actual reality. (Both of which had pretty disturbing implications.)

Of course he had only talked about reincarnation and not resurrection which meant that the cheeky bastard might have pulled an underhanded manoeuvre based on a wording error. If he simply reversed time and threw her back into the fray until she believed in his nonexistent divinity then that would not qualify as a new life. This way he wouldn´t have to openly admit his fault and accept criticism. Typical!

All in all, there were too many improvable possibilities for what her supernatural tormentor could have done with her that it was best to ignore them all for now. Tanya had no intentions of purposefully dying to test her theories, because she would never throw away her most valuable possession so easily for potentially little gain. Her life might suck, but it was all she had. (Not to mention that it was unknown at the moment if she could even repeat this phenomenon.)

Back to the here and now...

The wind was whipping through her hair as she propelled herself forwards with maximum force. Last time she had been too late to save the villagers by an estimated three hours. If she pushed herself to her highest speed and kept low to the ground then she would be perhaps just in time to defend some of them. But did she even want that?

They were secondary targets at best. She would gain nothing from their survival. Distracting and/or eliminating the cultists long enough for them to evacuate the village and find shelter in the mansion would waste precious time and was nigh impossible for her to accomplish alone. Their lives were not her responsibility and it would take considerable effort on her part to intervene, so she could theoretically just let them die and focus on the real VIP of this mission.

Except that she had made a contract with Emilia that established a pact of mutual military support in times of crisis. Undoubtedly Roswaal the sly fox would use her supposed inaction to demand compensation for this breach of conduct should it be revealed that she had been able to save the villagers. At least a token effort was required.

Damn it! The treaty was supposed to protect her and indebt the strongest magician of the country to her! Not the other way around. It had only been one day since she had signed that stupid piece of paper and Tanya was regretting it already. Half a life time of war had dulled her sense of office politics it seemed.

At least (unlike before) she now had Crusch´s army as backup, even though they would only show up in a few hours. It was like her first deployment in Norden all over again. She was outnumbered and outgunned by enemies that should logically be more powerful than her with backup that would arrive far too late. Being X would certainly prattle on about some shit involving "poetic irony" or "fate" right now.

She could make it work.

She needed to make it work.

She was the Argent! The imperial Symbol of Victory as some fools called her. (Without the logistics division even her battalion wouldn´t have been able to beat back the communist menace. Those brave officers who procured her coffee and bullets were the real heroes! And if she had supposedly been so important then why had the general staff tried to kill her on every occasion? What a poor publicity sham.)

Her brain was pumped up on artificial combat drugs and her muscles were taut with tension. Somehow she began to relish the challenge as the “battle high” catapulted all her senses into overdrive.

It was good to be alive.

So good.

Those that threatened her wellbeing would be shown no mercy and be allowed no shelter. They were already dead without them knowing. Petelgeuse was a lunatic and a sadist on top... She would enjoy his suffering.

Deception had worked well on him in their past – or should she say future – engagements. Now she was informed about his secret abilities and could counter them.

If anybody in the village had looked up and been able to discern the face of the small blur in the sky then they would have immediately lost control over their bladder. The cheek-splitting grin that cut into Tanya´s adorable face was like the maw of death itself.

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Crusch was internally cursing and screaming. She had assembled an army to take care of the White Whale only to find it already defeated. Then Tanya had apparently identified the thread to the Mathers estate as witch cultists and openly pressured her into assisting her. How her diminutive, blond rival had known this information was strange, but Crusch´s Divine Protection registered her words as the absolute truth.

Had she declined her plea then she would have lost much respect from her men on top of returning home empty handed. Refusing assistance was well within her rights, for they both were of equal standing in the royal selection, but it would make her look cowardly and petty. There was simply no other choice but to agree with Tanya, despite the possible political provocation that invading another´s domain with military force could entail.

On the other hand she also felt a little bit thankful for the opportunity to bring glory to her camp. Eliminating the witch´s cult was something she had planned for in the future anyways, so doing it now only served to speed things up. Considering that her greatest opponent had slain the White Whale nearly on her own she needed every image boost she could get.

Who knew? Maybe she would even show the citizens of Lugnica with her actions that she was well capable of defending them where the Margrave and the Emilia camp had failed. Another few votes could make ultimately the difference between winning the throne and barely missing it.

Furthermore Tanya would hopefully feel indebted to her which she could use to form a temporary alliance between their two camps. “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” was something she had learned at an early age after all. (Secretly Crusch also considered that good relations would do her well in case that Tanya took the throne. She was a far better candidate than either the half-elf or Priscilla.)

A problem that arose quickly on their journey was that the wagons with the heavy equipment were too slow if they wanted to arrive at Margrave Roswaal´s mansion before dawn. They had been prepared to hunt a single, massive target, not a group of dangerous criminals. As a consequence they were ill-prepared and had to leave a couple of men behind.

But her warriors were nothing if not adaptable. The old veterans who had volunteered to take revenge on the evil that had plagued their country for as long as they could remember still had the skills to fight cultists drilled into their bones. In a way nothing had really changed for them.

Crusch could see that especially her butler Wilhelm was eager for battle. Despite the fact that he had been unable to deliver justice upon the killer of his wife he was all the more excited to show his gratefulness to Lady Degurechaff. She would need to carefully observe his behaviour in the future, for while she would never assume that he would betray her for one of her enemies, he might accidentally let his judgement of Tanya´s character be clouded.

Her intuition estimated that the trip would only take two more hours until they reached the village that the blue-haired maid had described. Idely she wondered what Tanya was doing right now.

Regardless, with her actions today she would bring honour to her name! For Lugnica!

Chapter Text

Chapter 47

The village was in chaos. People were running around screaming in obvious terror, but so far only a dozen or so casualties had occurred. At least that was what she was able to observe in her few seconds flying over the buildings. It was entirely possible that a large number of villagers had been murdered indoors which she couldn´t see, but the witch´s cult was not particularly inclined to subtlety and covert warfare.

In fact the most cultists that she could see were standing guard around the whole settlement in a perfect circle formation. Not only was that wasteful, but also incredibly stupid for a multitude of strategic reasons, mainly that one targeted assault could break their ranks. Perhaps they recruited only crazy morons after all?

Naturally, where the band of brainless puppets went their mentally unstable leader was not far. Petelgeuse stood in the middle of the market square and preached about his pseudo religion, a.e. his obsessive idolatry of the witch of envy. His insane nonsense was getting old pretty fast. The cultists were probably only positioned outside to keep the villagers inside and force them to listen to his never-ending yapping. In a way the situation reminded her of the communists who compelled their citizens to consume their state-approved media regardless of how harebrained it was.

“And so rejoice in the knowledge that your sacrifice will greatly please her and strengthen her love for us all.”

She needed to intervene fast. If she could keep him occupied for long enough the majority of the civilians could be saved. A more than acceptable outcome in her opinion.

“Ehem - Hello there. Have I been too late for the ordeal? Could you please stop and listen to me first before we begin the fun?” she grinned while floating above the sin archbishop.

“Huh? Who are... that smell... You are loved! Clearly her love clings thickly to you! Oh, how joyous, how wonderful, how EXHILARATING!”

“Yes isn´t it fantastic to see each other again?” she grinned, her mouth impossibly widening even further.

He furrowed his brows and gripped his chin in thought.

“Pardon me, but I do not recall meeting you. On second thought... I don´t even know who you are!”

“Really, Petelgeuse Romanee Conti, sin archbishop of the witch´s cult representing sloth? Are you sure about that?” she purred while leaning forward.

“Oh how slothful, of me to forget our acquaintance! How terribly foolish, inconsiderate, ignorant!” he screamed.

Tanya wondered if he had perhaps been a librarian before becoming a member of the witch´s cult. Because he sure seemed to love enumerating synonyms. Anyways it was time to move the plan along before he could make up some new brain-dead idea while beating his own body to death for a supposed failure. How had he called his underlings? Fingers?

“Could you stop wasting time please? Call your fingers all here so that I may officially introduce myself to them. We both have a mission after all.”

He stopped mid swing and his eyes grew comically large.

“Yes, yes, yes, of course! The ordeal must commence! Come here you useless lot! Don´t keep her waiting!”

Hundreds of robed figures seemed to grow out of the ground in an instant. This kind of coordinated mass teleportation was a very frightening ability. Could they do that everywhere? Was there a range limit? Tanya dearly hoped so. After this whole mess was cleared up she would never leave the safety of the capital again to avoid such ambushes. If Petelgeuse had a shred more competence than he could have brought the entire country down in a few years through the use of guerrilla tactics and rapid strike manoeuvres, but thankfully he was as mad as Mary Sioux. (Well, he was even worse in some aspects, but less deranged in other so it evened itself out.)

“Are these all of your minions? I would hate to repeat myself to them at a later date. Such tardiness would waste much time we do not have!”

“Yes. Obviously! They all are here and listening closely! Now tell us, are you the one who was awaited?”

He was bouncing up and down in excitement.

“Glad you asked I - hrhgh.” she coughed dramatically before continuing in a weaker voice. “Can you can –hrrr – come closer please...”

The green madman eagerly called his cultists together so that they were now standing shoulder to shoulder in a big uniform mass of purple and black. Perfect.

“Am I correct in my assessment that –hrghr...” she continued while tilting her head down so that her hair would fall over eyes.

“Huh?” asked Petelgeuse, obviously confused.

“...ahem - ... you believe in miracles?” she spoke barely audible.

“Of course! The witch´s love for us undeserving sinners is the greatest miracle there is! Nothing can compare to her majesty!”

She sighed.

 “Then be amazed by our Lord´s true power.”

“YES! Show us her love! How blessed we are!”

“He speaks in divine tongues to lead us to victory and cleanse our souls of the infernal taint.”

“He?”

“His every word is justice and wisdom made manifest,”

“I don´t...”

“To guide us through the darkness of temptation.”

“... understand?”

Pure golden light illuminated the surrounding houses despite the day being far from over.

“Fear the Lord.”

It was in this moment that Petelgeuse knew he had made a critical error by trusting the blond, floating person who had interrupted the ordeal so unexpectedly.

“For the burden of your sins might be too much to bear.”

“Get aw-“

“Ul Vita!”

Gravity increased by a hundred fold on the entire plaza and stomped every living being into the ground. Flesh practically liquefied as hundreds of cultists turned into red smears on the stone, completely flattened by the sudden increase in gravity. Bones horrifically broke and blood pressed itself into the earth as quickly as possible to escape further downwards.

Meanwhile Tanya´s golden gaze feasted on the evidence of god´s might in front of her. She hummed contently as she analyzed the human puddle with satisfaction. Her saviour never failed to amaze her.

Absent-mindedly she noticed that something was trying to invade her mind, but the power of god that was pleasantly flowing though her and warming her core was much too strong to allow a heretic entry into this divine servant. Tanya laughed in joy as the mysterious force receded as if burned.

What a beautiful day to do the Lord´s work...

Wait...

Ah, damn it! The cursed orb had taken control of her again! Using the disgusting thing twice in a day was taking its toll on her.

A check of her mana reserves revealed that she was down to roughly ten percent. Had the yin spell she cast not been made more efficient by the use of a computation jewel she would surely have expended all of it. To further preserve precious energy she cut off the flight formula she had been using and plummeted a few meters to the ground. This had unfortunately the effect of splattering her in the gooey remains of cultists from head to toe.

“Ugh- I will need an extra hot bath today.”

Her feet were wobbly and she nearly tripped over an arm (or at least what she assumed had been an arm) before she could right herself. Everything below her neck was dripping red and sticky. Seldom in her life had she felt so repulsive. She was so distracted by the uncomfortable feeling of being covered in viscera that she rubbed her face without thinking only to realize a second too late that she had probably just worsened her appearance even further.

A curious (and very stupid) kid looked out from behind a barrel he had used to hide and saw her walking along the street. He did what any normal person in his age group would do and ran away screaming.

Tanya just shook her head and went on the arduous walk towards the mansion. If Petelgeuse had lied for some reason and had more troupes hidden around the area than they would either flee (which was far too logical for these fanatics) or attack the mansion with everything they got in a last ditch effort to fulfil their mission. So she needed to check on Emilia and make sure that everything was alright on her end before she could declare the operation a success.

Last time Ram and Emilia had been able to hold off hundreds of attackers for hours without her intervention. Therefore she was not concerned for their safety. But never say that thoroughness was not a staple of the Argent´s work ethic.

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Rem anxiously watched the village come into view. Had Tanya really sensed witch cultists? How? Highly suspicious.

But if she was right then had she been able to defeat them on her own? Ram was alright as far as she could tell through their emotional bond which most likely also meant that Lady Emilia was unharmed as well. Her brave sister would never neglect the duty that Lord Roswaal had given her. They were both fine. (That was at least what she desperately tried to convince herself.)

No amount of speculation could have prepared her though for the absolute carnage that they found in the middle of the settlement. The ground was soaked with blood and the remains of purple-hooded corpses were smeared along the ground in such masses that it took her breath away.

And in front of it all stood a utterly viscera drenched Lady Tanya with a bored look on her face as if she had just finished airing laundry! What in Shaula´s name was happening?

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Tanya had rolled the barrel she had seen earlier over into the middle of the plaza to sit on and wait. She had chosen the spot in the middle with the least amount of body parts in hopes of not freshly soaking her socks again.

Time flew by as she began to doze off until loud noises coming from the main road put her in high alerta again.

Ah, that must be Crusch´s army. Well, better late than never. She took a step into the direction of the sounds, but actually slipped this time for real and landed face first in the red mush. Damn it! All her effort of changing into some of Emilia´s spare clothes had been for naught!  Nonetheless did she decide to continue her walk with as much dignity as she could muster in her gory state to welcome her rival with respect.

Multiple riders visibly flinched upon seeing her and her surroundings. Why? Those dead people were witch cultists. Their annihilation was absolutely no loss for society!

"A-a m-monster! Y-you a-are a monster!" a random soldiers cried despite the harsh glare that Crusch sent him. What an idiot.

"You haven´t noticed until now?" she replied sarcastically. Her tolerance for bullshit today was exhausted beyond belief. It wasn´t even funny anymore.

Without missing a beat she asked the most importantr question right now: “Rem, can the ground dragon make the trip back to the capital?”

“I believe not Lady Degurechaff. I pushed its limits too much today.”

Great. Simply great. Pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers she turned her attention to Crusch.

“Lady Crusch would you be willing to exchange one of your mounts for mine. I would be willing to pay any price as long as it can pull my carriage home before midnight.”

“Yes, of course. There is no need to monetarily compensate me. See it as a sign of good will for our upcoming negotiations.”

YES! She could bath today!

“You have my thanks Lady Crusch. Rem, make it happen. And before you ask, your sister and Emilia are fine and perfectly healthy. I will get some sleep in the cabin.”

Tanya´s arms felt like lead as she ripped open the door and hastily shooed the occupants out. Subaru stayed seated, but her two useless bodyguards promptly left the interior.

“Ah... You aren´t dead.” she noted dully as she identified the guard whose head had been blown off before her recent death. Although the fact that the worthless man had not been killed this time around filled her neither with relief nor disappointment; just indifference. His value as a human resource was astoundingly low.

With her last bit of willpower she thanked Crusch for her assistance, despite being ultimately unneeded and warned her of possible remaining cultists in the woods. She couldn´t bring herself to care that she was showing weakness in front of enemies and allies alike, because the hard bench inside the carriage pulled her in like a magnet. The thin padding of the seat became the most luxurious bed on earth for Tanya as her eyelids drifted shut. Finally...

Tanya´s dreams were filled with coffee, hot water and, most importantly, peace.

Chapter Text

Chapter 48

Emilia softly whimpered as she begged for Puck to come out of his crystal, only for nothing to happen. Silence. Why wouldn´t he answer? He must be resting to preserve his energy in the event that a fight broke out! Yes, surely! Puck would never leave her alone without a good reason! Whatever he was doing inside that crystal was extremely important!

Nonetheless could she not shake the awful feeling that Ram and she were hopelessly outmatched. From what the maid had told her, there had been too many cultists to count. Her contracted spirit was not showing himself and she had no idea where to find Beatrice. They were all alone...

“S-somebody... please help us...”

As if her prayers had been answered a loud knock resounded from the door.

“Lady Emilia it is safe. You can come out now. The witch cultists have been dealt with.” said a muffled sounding Ram.

“Wha... R-really?”

“Yes. Lady Durgenshaft claims to have eliminated them.”

“Uh... You mean Tanya?” she clarified. Ram had a funny habit of getting the names of guests wrong. She had mispronounced hers wrong at first too until Roswaal had explained it to her. Emilia pitied the girl. It must be hard to live with such a mental disability.

“Of course. Whoe else could I be referring to?”

“Riiiiight... But... uh... why is she here?”

“I do not know Milady. Perhaps you can ask her yourself as soon as you step outside that room.”

“Uh... Okay.“

The half-elf hastily removed the small barricade blocking the door and stepped outside. She went down the steps to the entrance hall and... stopped.

There stood the dripping figure of Tanya, littered with cuts and covered in gore. Her bright blue eyes stood out even more against her red skin. She looked like she had been through hell and back.

Immediately she doubled her speed and rushed to her side, but noticed at the last second that a hug might not be appropriate. Both because of Tanya´s potential injuries and the coating of blood that would no doubt stain her dress.

“By the dragon... Tanya what happened? Are you alright? Should I heal you? I know I'm not the best, but it would help a little...” she trailed off in embarrassment.

“Thank you, but that won´t be necessary.”

“Did you get wounded in your battle against the... uh... cultists?”

Emilia wanted to slap herself for the stupid and insensitive question. Of course she had been wounded by the-

“No.”

But then, by whom? Who else had attacked her friend? For some reason the mere thought made her angry.

“Actually we encountered the White Whale on our journey to the capital.”

Silence permeated the air. Emilia was speechless. Ram sneezed.

“Together we were able to defeat the beasts and wanted to continue our trip, but Rem sensed a disturbing emotion from you and persuaded me to check up on the mansion. Is that correct Ram?”

The maid seemed to be gnashing her teeth before responding “Yes. I may have been shortly frightened by their fashion style. These cultist robes were of horrendous quality.”

Emilia was still way too shocked to properly scold her on her screwed up priorities. Fashion was not important right now!

When her mouth finally caught up with her brain she managed to stammer:
“T-the W-white Whale? You k-k-killed the White Whale?”

“Indeed. And it was easier than I expected. Subaru helped me greatly in conceiving a plan.”

Ram sneezed again. Hopefully she wasn´t developing a cold.

“Afterwards he came to me and expressed his desire to become a knight and I fully support the idea of his training. If he manages to actually qualify is another matter entirely, but physical exercise and martial drills can´t be bad for him. Nonetheless do I have no authority to allow him his wish, so you should write Subaru a letter and tell him your opinion.”

“As if. Barusu can barely peel tatoes (potatoes) in the kitchen. He will only endanger himself by swinging a sword.”

“No!” Emilia yelled out with an intensity that obviously surprised Ram.

“Have you already forgotten how he save Rem and the village children last week? How brave he stood against those mabeasts? Subaru tries so hard for us all and believes in us...”

“Even in me.” the mean part of her brain added. Despite the biting self-hatred a warm feeling spread through her chest.

“The least we can do is to believe in him and his dreams too!”

“Well spoken... Anyways...” said Tanya.

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“I have ended the main force of the threat with a decisive strike. I have eliminated all available cultists in the area that I know about, but some could still be hiding out in the woods. That is why I would advise caution in the next forty eight hours and recommend the hiring of a dedicated team of bodyguards for Lady Emilia immediately. I am going to write Lord Mathers on the matter personally and I expect to find comprehensive security improvements upon my next visit. It is quite disturbing to find another royal candidate, especially my ally, so unprotected. For a Margrave he sure seems to be stingy with the budget if he can´t defend his mansion properly.”

Ok, maybe the last comment had been unnecessary, but the longer she thought about it the angrier she got. To leave Emilia with only a maid as company was not only irresponsible, it was borderline maliciously neglectful! Although if Ram could fight as well as what Tanya had seen from her sister then smaller threats were no problem. Still, one person could neither be awake for twenty four hours every day, nor could be in Emilia´s vicinity to protect her.

A specialized team of people with patrol routes and actual weapons would be needed

Ram puffed her cheeks angrily at the perceived insult to her master before she began: “With all due respect, but how dare you question Lord Roswaal´s plans! He has his reasons for...”

After enduring Petelgeuse so much today Tanya just couldn´t take the condescending palaver that the pink-haired maid was letting loose.

“Frankly, I do not care for the reasons behind his shortcomings. I made a deal with Lady Emilia not him and for that reason her safety is my only concern. Have you seen how many witch cultists were out there?”

“... No, but I guessed a few dozen.”

“More like a few hundred.”

The half-elf gasped and Ram went the slighted shade paler.

“Mph. Against my amazing strength they would have surely been no match.” she tried to reassure.

“I doubt it. Among them was a sin archbishop who possessed abilities the likes of which I have never seen before. Your combat prowess might be sensational, but you would not have been able to prevail against him.”

Tanya left out that even if Ram had been managed to defeat Petelgeuse he could have just found a new body to continue the fight. Oh, yeah... She should probably warn them on the off chance that he had already possessed another vessel.

“In fact, I am pretty sure I killed him, but you can never be too sure. He might have escaped against all odds so be vigilant and stay away from any suspicious people. Should you encounter somebody who calls themselves ´Petelgeuse´ then run away and hide. You cannot fight him.”

“A-and you killed all those b-bad guys and the archbishop? A-alone?”

“Yeah?”

...

The flatness of their stares made even Tanya slightly uncomfortable. She decided to back-paddle a little bit to not appear too powerful. Screwing their expectations of her up would only do more harm than good in the future.

“I'm nearly out of mana though. It was pure luck that they were stupid enough to stand all next to each other. Whoever has to clean up that mess has my heartfelt condolences.”

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Emilia was not sure what to make of that statement. Did she even want to know?

Wait... If Tanya was nearly out of mana then she was certainly exhausted. She would need to rest somewhere!

“Do you want to sleep here? After all the trouble you went through for us it would only be right if you could relax before travelling again.”

“I'm fine, thanks. I have my own business that I need to take care of in the capital and Reinhard is surely worried sick by now. Besides, Roswaal explicitly told me to leave his home today and I have no intentions of breaking that promise if not absolutely necessary.”

The half-elf was despirited to be refused again. She wanted to do more for the one person who for the first time had given her actual hope for winning the throne, or at least making Lugnica a better place.

“But I would be more than thankful for some clean spare clothes and a jug of water.”

Emilia smiled. That was something she could help her out with easily.

“Ah and before I forget... I kind of stumbled into Lady Karsten´s army on the way here. They were on the hunt for the White Whale, but were a few minutes too late. I requested them to come here as backup in case that I couldn´t handle the threat myself. You should not be alarmed when a small contingent of soldiers shows up at the village. Please treat them with respect and perhaps even invite Crusch for tea? Who knows, diplomatic relations between her camp and us can only be beneficial.”

Tea? Now? She didn´t feel like drinking tea after she had escaped death today. But she would not falter and bear this burden. Emilia owed it to her people to give her best!

“Ram, please prepare the tea salon. Tanya is right. We all need to do our best. Goodbye Tanya. I am going to write you a letter tomorrow.”

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Crusch had a bad feeling already when she entered the village. Her ground dragon had been in battle with her before and was used to the smell of blood, but now he was fidgeting and fearfully sniffing the air. Whatever he was smelling must be extremely intense.

Her worries were somewhat soothed by the frightened villagers which were watching her through the windows. That showed that they had not been massacred by the witch´s cult at least. Hopefully they wouldn´t mistake her for a hostile invader.

When the middle of the small settlement came into view a small “Ohhh...” escaped her lips despite her usually tight self-control.

Corpses. In such quantities that they filled the entire market square. Hundreds of black robes were the only discerning feature to indicate that the puddle of blood and flesh had once consisted of humans. True, these cultists could hardly be called human anymore after what crimes they had committed, but this was maybe going a little too far.

In all her years on the battlefield she hadn´t ever seen a spell that could do such a thing! It must have been a single attack like the one Tanya used against Hakugei, because else the victims would have been more dispersed by trying to run away.

And in front of the most brutal massacre that Crusch had ever the displeasure of witnessing stood Tanya. Equally bloodied from head to toe. With a politely bored expression that spoke of total familiarity with such situations.

Once again young Tanya had proven her terrific combat prowess and her scary ability to easily obliterate seemingly insurmountable forces. Such a talent for violence only appeared once a generation (with the exception of the sword saint). When Crusch became queen she would definitely need to keep her close. Maybe as a general? No, a bloodthirsty battle maniac would want a more hands on approach...

She couldn´t blame her men for thinking of Tanya as some kind of devil. ´Slaughter incarnate´ was what she would have called the girl after having seen what she had done the White Whale. Despite her hand sign to stay quiet Ulruf, one of her more religious followers, called her a monster. Had he no survival instinct? If Tanya wanted then she could do the same to them all!

Or not, as the monster instantly collapsed inside her carriage, obviously exhausted. She wanted a new ground dragon and how could Crusch refuse her? If there was one person in this country who she didn´t want to make an enemy out of then it was this little monster with the backing of the sword saint. Any battle against them was doomed to failure.

Negotiations for a non-aggression-pact couldn´t come soon enough! But how?

Luckily an opportunity presented itself in form of a pink haired maid with an offer for tea. The prospect of conversing with Emilia was too good to pass up. This way she would secure her good graces with the devil!

Chapter Text

Chapter 49

Rem turned her head to watch the small army riding behind her carriage. Most of Lady Karsten´s men had been ordered to return to the capital with her while only a dozen stayed with their liege. Master Roswaal would hopefully forgive her that she had let these invaders trespass on his land unpunished. The lives of the villagers and her sister were more important than honour in her opinion.

Lady Tanya was fast asleep in the carriage with Subaru watching over her. Ram would have certainly objected to leaving a young maiden alone with a fool like “Barusu” as she affectionately called him, but Rem knew that he had a far too pure heart to try anything untoward. Her sister generally placed not much trust in her hero, now that she thought about it. Although, despite all her demeaning jokes and insults she held no real hatred for Subaru and Rem could sometimes even feel a certain fondness for the boy through their telepathic link.

Speaking of Subaru she had no real time to worry about him until now, but there was definitely something wrong with hero. He had suddenly gone silent and was almost completely unresponsive.  From one moment to the other he had changed his whole demeanour and it frightened her? What pained him so? What could cause her love so much suffering?

Lady Tanya had earlier been able to help him when he gotten into a panic episode (which only made Rem slightly jealous). His voice had been too quiet to understand most of the conversation, but she was sure that he had some sort of magical ability he had not told anyone about. Perhaps something similar to her sister´s clairvoyance? How else could he have predicted that they would meet the White Whale?

She hoped with all her heart that she could find a way to ease his suffering. No... she would! He had risked his live for hers and she would give her own in return if she had to! Ram would be sad, but when she found love the way Rem had she would understand.

For now though she had to steer the coach and keep an eye out for Lady Karsten´s men if they tried to stab them in back.

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Tanya awoke a few hours later groggily and with aching limbs from the uncomfortable rest on a bench that was normally just used for sitting. Her mana reserves had refilled themselves more than half-way which officially made her combat ready. Unofficially she felt like shit. She was hungry and covered in dried blood. So it was a more or less usual work day for her.

She stretched her stiff joints and rubbed her arms to get the blood flowing before treating herself to a strip of dried meat that she had stowed away in her pocket. Its time in out in the open had made it flavourless and hard, but she didn´t mind. After all, most of the food at the eastern front had been worse.

Only when she had thoroughly cleaned her teeth from leftover meat did she look over at her companion inside the cabin who was blankly staring at his lap. She frowned.

“Subaru, what is it? Why are you looking so down? I defeated the witch´s cultists. Emilia and Ram are safe for now. Everything is going fine. You weren´t this gloomy the last time.”

Oops. Tanya wanted to slap herself for letting that piece of information slip. Her time loop had given her much information about this world and raised many more questions. She wasn´t even sure if she was not just hallucinating all of this right now!

He looked up at her, but his eyes were clouded in a way that reminded her of that one young officer at the Rhine front who broke down after two months of service and hung himself in the crew quarters. While most people would describe that as tragic she had only contempt for that waste of a man.

Instead of dealing with his emotional problems in a mature way he had sought the easy way out. At least he could have led a suicide charge at the Francois trenches and serve his fatherland with his last moments. Then she wouldn´t have had to write a letter to his family detailing his end in a suitably tactful and discreet manner. (It had cost her a good night´s sleep and that was more than his miserable existence had been worth.)

What could have broken Subaru to the core? Which recent event could have traumatized him so much?

Tanya replayed the incidents of the last few hours in her head.

The fight with the whales...

The ambush on the road...

Her meeting with Petelgeuse...

How he killed her and probably her allies as well...

Wait a minute...

Subaru had talked about dying a few days ago. In his “vision” before her battle against the White Whales he had also only managed to foresee events until the point of his demise. He possessed knowledge he should not have access to and was a newcomer to this world just like her. He had never directly confirmed the exact the specifics of his strange ability to see the future, but the theory that began to form in her head seemed the most likely.

Ockham´s razor said that the simplest answer was the most likely one.

The coincidences were just too great.

Subaru almost certainly possessed the capability of rewinding time in case of his death.

Just like she had done.

If this was a reliable skill and not a one-time phenomenon then that made him potentially the most dangerous person in this world for Tanya. A potential enemy who could break time itself and discover all her future plans was an insurmountable obstacle. So it was now more important than ever to keep him close and forge a positive relationship with the boy. Despite all the trouble the irresponsible margrave had put her in she was thankful to have made an alliance with the Emilia camp so soon.

Nonetheless did Tanya need to confirm if her theory was correct before she could begin with making strategies to counter Subaru´s “reset”. Should she just ask him?

If Subaru hadn´t already figured out that she shared his gift (curse?) by her different behaviour compared to the last loop then he discover it with time. The longer she waited to admit her own powers, the less probable it was that he would trust her after that. Most humans were irrational enough to misinterpret the withholding of information as a sign of disdain or ill-intent.

Giving away info that he maybe already knew would serve to make her appear more honest and open without costing her anything. And more importantly, by dictating the terms of their conversation she would remain in control and dissuade him from spreading her secrets uncontrollably.

She raised a sound suppressant barrier inside the cabin with a stray thought before yelling:
“Subaru! Focus on me!”

When his eyes stayed unfocused she reacted instinctively and slapped him. Hard.

“Aghhh... why?” he muttered dumbfounded. The light was returning to his eyes at the very least.

“Subaru! I need you to listen to me closely.”

She leaned forward and looked him deep into the eyes.

“Have you ever died and returned to a point in time before that?”

“W-Wha... H... How...”

While that was not really an answer it confirmed her suspicions.

“You did. I know that because it happened to me too just a few hours ago.”

“B-But... I... I... I CAN RETURN BY DEATH!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Tanya was glad she had magically soundproofed the carriage before this conversation. Else the blue maid and her useless bodyguards would now be privy to strategic information of immeasurable value.

Subaru seemed to wait for something as he looked around him. Strange. She would ask later.

“Yes.”

Tanya tried her best empathetic voice paired with the saddest smile she could muster.

“It must have been hard to carry such a burden. All alone, right? You could not tell anybody about this, am I correct?”

Tears were welling up in his eyes and he wordlessly shook his head.

Good. This knowledge needed to be kept secret lest the whole world would be gunning for their heads. Turning back time was a boon greater than all riches of the earth and a weapon deadlier than a nuclear missile in the right hands. Naturally she intended for those hands to be only her own. She herself was the only one that she could trust with this power. It was for the best of both her and the boy if no living soul ever caught wind of this.

“I only experienced coming back to life once” she lied smoothly, “so I can´t say I know how terrible it must have been for you, but I am always willing to listen. Together we can maybe-“

Suddenly the coach stopped moving. The sound suppressing barrier worked both ways so she had no idea what was going on outside. She smiled apologetically at Subaru and motioned that they would continue their exchange later.

When she dispersed her formula and stretched her neck to look out the window she saw a tall man clad in white robes standing in the middle of the road.

Rem was shouting: “Move! Step aside or we will make you!”

“Hey, hey, hey! There is no need for hostilities! I am just a traveller upon the road. Are you usually this insensitive to peaceful innocents you come across?” replied the stranger.

“No, but you are blocking our way. We are travelling urgently.”

“Yes I am too. Do I not have the same right as you to traverse this road? Are you denying my right for a nice summer stroll? My right to move freely through this supposed free country? Do you truly call me less than a human being by denying me the simplest rights?”

The weirdly white man continued to ramble on and Tanya lost her patience. On some level she could understand – appreciate even – a citizen standing up for their rights, but this was too much. The needs of the many outweighed that of the few. He was holding up their journey for no good reason, because he wouldn´t move despite being able to without effort.

A quick look behind her confirmed that Crusch´s warriors were watching so she would have to solve the issue peacefully.

“I am deeply sorry to interrupt you good sir, but I fear you might be misconstrue our intentions. We meant no slight against your person, but simply wanted to convey to you that we cannot move ourselves so it would be prudent if you could vacate the street, allowing us both to go our marry way.”

Her stilted way of speaking had been chosen to communicate with the obvious lawyer more seamlessly. The man knew his rights and would hopefully adhere to common logic.

“While it was indeed rude to interrupt me I forgive you this once for being relatively courteous.”

He did not move.

“Then would you kindly step to the side? Your time is surely as precious as ours.”

This time she couldn´t fully hide the annoyance in her tone.

“Yes, my time is most sacred and valuable, but I have not only come here for a walk. I am on a mission of the utmost importance! I would not have left my home and my wonderful wives for anything less. You wouldn´t happen to be Tanya von Degurechaff, would you?”

Instantly she was on high alert. Was this a trap? An assassination attempt? A messenger?

“Why yes? And what would you do if I were this person?” she asked appearing totally unconcerned on the outside while reading a dozen combat formulae in her head.

“Oh, well. I do not think your likes deserve to hear this, but I am a most generous person and will let you partake in the honour of knowing my name. I am Regulus Corneas, sin archbishop of the witch’s cult representing greed.”

Oh fuck this.

Not again!

Chapter Text

Chapter 50

Astonishingly, Rem reacted before Tanya could and threw her Morningstar (where did she hide that?) at the sin archbishop. Tanya stalled her shot to observe what the man in white would do. Petelgeuse had an invisible force field that could block her bullets and rip people to shreds. Did Regulus have the same?

The spiked ball of Rem´s weapon closed in at blinding speeds, but to Tanya it looked like slow motion. Her target made no sign to dodge or acted startled in the slightest. Had she overestimated his abilities?

Then the heavy steel orb impacted him with the force of a train only to bounce off like it had hit a wall of stone instead of flesh! Not even his clothes appeared rumpled by the attack!

What?

There had been no shield to block that throw. Tanya´s magically enhanced eyesight had catalogued every detail of the collision and she knew that the weapon had not missed by even a millimetre. Was he invincible? Hopefully that was only temporary.

It looked like her theory was being tested by Rem who swung her Morningstar again and again, hitting Regulus each time, but failing to damage him at all. She studied his facial expressions carefully in search of any indication of fatigue or effort that could mark the limits of his invulnerability. Instead she saw only boredom and annoyance.

Finally he sighed and with one lazy hand movement the sin archbishop swatted the chain away which broke the thick steel apart like it had been porcelain.

“Hey! Stop this! I am a reasonable and collected person who despises senseless violence, but if you keep this up you are giving me no choice but to retaliate!” he scolded the blue-haired girl like one would do to a naughty child.

Physical attacks obviously had no effect on him. Had he some kind of magic spell to deflect any and all projectiles? Or was he just generally impenetrable? Was the super strength part of his ability or something different? So many unknowns.

Close range could perhaps be more effective to find a weak point, but she would certainly not risk coming closer to the terrorist. With some effort she could maybe create a ring of fire around him to cook him alive while depriving him of oxygen, but with all the people in close vicinity that would only end in disaster.

Peacefully deescalating this situation just like she had done with Petelgeuse was the best option. So far Regulus seemed relatively reasonable and calm after all. He was at least leagues better than that complete maniac Petelgeuse. If she could get him to go on another long tangent then that would buy her time to further scheme.

“Rem, stop this at once! You can do nothing to him. He´s invincible!” she ordered while stepping outside the carriage.

At first she didn´t appear to register Tanya´s words as she swung the remaining chain of her Morningstar wildly, but after a few seconds she huffed and reluctantly halted her assault.

“Mr. Corneas forgive us. We just had a run-in with another sin archbishop recently and that ended rather unpleasantly as you can see.”

She pointed at her blood encrusted torso. Tanya consciously omitted the fact that she had most likely killed sloth and all of his followers. As a fellow member of the witch´s cult he would not react well to the news that she had eliminated his co-worker.

“Those fools can´t do anything right. Pathetic as usual, but I am neither petty nor merciless as I am completely satisfied with my life. Indeed, I am the most satisfied existence there ever was! So I forgive your fruitless attempts at harming me and come to the point. My time is not limited, because I am immortal and perfect and will persist long after all you far less satisfied lives have faded away. Nonetheless do I like to spend my precious, irreplaceable time in the comfort of my own home, for I have no real requirement to venture outside. I am completely satisfied after all and the world holds no wonders that could even compare to my own greatness.”

Damn, if he had not introduced himself as the representative of greed then Tanya would have thought that he was the sin archbishop of pride! Regulus liked to hear himself talk way too much and boasted his ego with the casualness of someone telling facts about the weather. It was quite repulsive how someone could be so full of themselves.

In a way it reminded her of Priscilla who believed herself to be a goddess walking amongst mortals, but she had the decency to endlessly talk about her assumed perfectness. Tanya could respect her self-confidence at least, where Regulus seemed to try painfully to convince his audience that he was in fact awesome. A symptom of a fragile ego, not of untouchable superiority.

Tanya used his egotistical posturing and replaced her position with an illusionary clone in a quick moment of distraction. She slipped away behind the coach unnoticed, her footsteps silenced by another spell.

“But enough of that. I have come here to hand you this crystal which allegedly is of grave importance for the future. I seldom consult my gospel, because I am already satisfied with my life as any good human being should be, but fate was oddly insistent that you must receive this trinket.”

He held up a necklace with a diamond shaped, golden gemstone hanging from it.

“Luckily for you I was in the area and could deliver it to you quickly. Is that not convenient? Is that not nice? As I am perfectly content with how I am and what I possess I naturally have no need to help others, yet I went out of my way to provide you with this artefact which holds no value to me. And what do I receive in return? I am attacked, belittled, insulted and looked down upon!”

Not wanting to interrupt him lest he would become angry Tanya loudly cleared her throat and raised the hand of her illusion. She needed to stop his rant before he could talk himself into a fit of rage and become even more mentally unstable.

It did little to quell his angry tirade, but the clone diverted his attention for long enough so that she had time to get into his blind spot and take to the air. Most humans made the critical mistake of never bothering to look up more than forty five degrees and the sin archbishop was no exception. Evolution had not conditioned them yet to look out for the ultimate predator of the air: combat mages.

“The misfortune and injustice I have to suffer on a daily basis is absolutely abhorrent! I give and give and give to this world and only earn scorn and disrespect! A less kind-hearted and generous man would have destroyed you all! You do not know how easy for me it would be to turn you to dust, but I held back! Even though you deserve punishment for attacking a peace loving, polite and perfectly reasonable individual like myself I will temper justice with mercy today.”

Tanya couldn´t help but scoff quietly. What had he expected when he introduced himself as an enemy of the state and leader of possibly the most hated criminal organization on the planet?

Regulus gestured at her decoy: “Honestly, if I hadn´t wanted to confirm if you were a suitable candidate to become my eleventh wife after the spot had recently been vacated then I would not have bothered to walk all the way out here.”

Wife? He wanted to take her as his wife? She was seventeen for crying out loud! Was he a disgusting lecher like that thrice-damned pervert Loria? Her trigger finger twitched erratically and she bared her teeth at the loathed memory.

“The other candidates were all disappointments so far. Well, maybe the half-elf could be different. Her beauty is rumoured to be extraordinary. You on the other hand are unfortunately also not what I am looking for. You must feel terrible right now, but do not worry! In a few years your body will certainly have developed and you will be welcome to seek out my judgement again.”

She wanted to strangle that bastard! As if!

“Now I have to get going. My lovely wives are waiting for me and I have missed their company for too long already. Take the crystal and I can leave.”

Tanya forcefully calmed herself down and projected her voice through her illusion to command one of her bodyguards to come and pick the item up. Her decoy could not interact with solid matter and she had no intention of coming close to that lunatic. (Not to mention the very real chance that the crystal was cursed or was another trap of some kind that could be dangerous to her.) The guard on the other hand was expendable and would not be missed by her should Regulus decide to turn him into minced meat.

He was too scared to move though.

A gentle burn from an invisible heat-ray formula (basically an overpowered laser normally used to start campfires) broke him out of his frightened stupor and sent him on his way. Every step towards the impatiently waiting Regulus made the man quiver in fear like he was approaching certain doom. An understandable reaction in Tanya´s eyes, but his low self-control showed his lacking training.

With trembling fingers he grasped the necklace and sprinted back to the carriage. Everybody watching let out a sigh of relief.

“Good enough I guess. If you will excuse me, I will be going now. Not that I would need an excuse, but in contrast to you I am polite.”

The sin archbishop turned around and began to walk away at a leisurely pace without a care in the world. His back was wide open for an ambush, but his apparent invulnerability proved that he had no need to be cautious in this situation.

“We can´t let him get away!” yelled one of Crusch´s soldiers. Many agreed loudly.

Surprisingly Rem stepped in: “Fools! We can´t do anything against him!”

“We are knights of Lugnica! We cannot let evildoers go unpunished!” he replied.

“You are going to get killed! Think of what your Lady would say to that!”

Tanya´s opinion of the maid was rising. Overall she had very good head on her shoulders. Sadly the shouting idiot wasn´t half as sharp and recklessly charged forward on his ground dragon.

Chapter Text

Chapter 51

From her position high up in the air Tanya had a perfect overview over the ensuing scene. The suicidal moron dashed towards the retreating Regulus and swung his sword. Her mental enhancement allowed her to take in every miserable detail of his disastrous assault and think carefully about the disaster unfolding below her.

Should she shoot the guy before he could agitate the sin archbishop? Would the sacrifice of one fool be enough to save the rest from the wrath of an invulnerable terrorist? Perhaps she could only incapacitate his ground dragon, but there was no guarantee that he wouldn´t continue his chase on foot. Maybe timing two explosions left and right of him to hit him with a concussive blast would knock him out...

No.

There was no time for risky, peaceful options that would also compromise her strategic position in case of a retaliatory assault by Regulus. No one had noticed her up here yet, most likely because they had been too occupied with the sin archbishop. It would be irrational to give away her element of surprise and draw attention to her easy escape route should things turn south.

She had to make a decision within the next two seconds. Either she killed the man or hoped that Regulus would just ignore him until he lost interest. Tanya had confidence in her ability to evade his attacks in the air, but Rem, Subaru and the others did not have that luxury. If the representative of greed was actually invincible then their chances of survival were low.

Subaru could apparently revive after being killed, but neither of them new the exact limits of that ability. For all she knew it could have a limited number of uses or was only effective under special conditions. Losing him was unacceptable.

But shooting one of her rival´s soldiers, even if to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, would also end in a political scandal. Crusch would most likely not be amused by the act of Tanya killing or severely injuring one of her men regardless of the reasoning. If worst came to worst even a civil war could break out. Tanya still remembered that fateful day clearly when the Legadonian Entente had chosen to “only” invade a few square kilometres of land and it ended in a war with millions of casualties.

Damned if she did and damned if she didn´t.

Time was ticking and her options were narrowing by the second.

Ah, well... she had to do something. To just wait and stay passive would be the height of imprudence.

Her illusionary clone shouted as loud as her ranged voice amplification spell allowed it:
“REGULUS, WATCH OUT!”

She had made her decision.

The weirdly white man (seriously what was up with the hair colours in this world?) turned around with painfully slow movements and promptly received a blade to the face. Any other human would have at least attempted to dodge or would have been shocked by the imminent danger. He just blinked unimpressed and took it head on.

The resounding “snap” of his swing had rather painful consequences for the attacker considering his arm seemed to have been dislocated at minimum. Nothing else could have been expected from basically striking a brick wall at full speed. Well, at least that proved that the invulnerability of the sin archbishop was not limited to ranged weaponry.

“Why are you unlawfully attacking me? I have done you no harm and you nonetheless decided to harass me! That violates my right for peace and quiet!“

Tanya wanted to scream in frustration when she saw the idiotic knight turn his mount around and try again with his useless sword to inflict damage upon his target.

“I take my rights very seriously, because they indicate what I deserve as the perfect existence! There - you failed again! What are you hoping to accomplish? Instead of taking an example from my politeness and cultural refinement you act like an animal! Indeed you pathetic existence is not worthy of being called human at all! I shall end you like the beast you are!”

He kicked the ground forcefully and sent a few barely visible stones and dirt particles in the direction of the knight. Tanya had no time to wonder what the purpose of that manoeuvre was, because instead of dropping after a few metres, the projectiles continued their trajectory and perforated the ground dragon.

Yes, perforated.

She had to blink and up the power on her optical spell to take in all the details. What should have been a few harmless pebbles and earth crumbs had entered the body of the beast without resistance and exited it at the same angle on the other side.

What. The. Hell.

How?

Her danger rating for Regulus jumped up from “Highly dangerous” to “Avoid at all costs or be damned”.

The skewered animal shrieked before toppling over dead, no doubt succumbing to its internal bleeding within moments. Its rider also let out a shrill cry of anguish for the first time in their “battle” as he slipped from the back of his now deceased mount. She did not need to look closer to notice that one of his legs had nearly been severed at the thigh and the other was missing chunks at his calve. Major blood vessels had been perforated and without immediate treatment h would lose a lethal amount of blood. (Not that she would step in to save the suicidal prick. He had brought this punishment upon himself!)

“Be silent! You have the nerve to further inconvenience me with your noises? Does your greedy selfishness know no bounds? Whoring for attention like that?”

Although dying while being berated by that narcissist Regulus was perhaps too much of a punishment. Tanya knew she wouldn´t want to meet her end like that at least.

She carefully scanned the ranks of Crusch´s other soldiers and found many faces contorted by pity or righteous anger. Hopefully they had learned their lesson from the failure of their comrade and would not pointlessly throw their lives-

“NOOOOOO!!!” yelled an old man, whose most defining feature was his goatee, ready to come to the rescue of the bleeding and crying imbecile on the ground. His fellow soldiers had the wisdom to try and hold him back, but they were not fast enough to stop him. All their yelling and frantic attempts to grab him proved for naught as he jumped from the back of his steed and sailed through the air in a surprising feat of athleticism. Tanya thought it a shame that such a capable human resource was about to be wasted.

The sin archbishop was still disdainfully looking at the downed man and was about to raise his immaculate white shoes for another kick aimed to end the annoyance before him when his leg was tackled and gripped tightly by the newcomer. He stared down at him for a full second before shaking it to remove the pest cling to him.

“What is the meaning of this? Why do you dirty my robes with your unwashed hands? Can you not see that I am busy at the moment? That is a direct infringement on my right for personal space! Show some respect!”

“Never you monster!” he roared back.

“How dare you?” seethed Regulus and seemed to push the air in front of him away with his left hand. The normally invisible gas rippled and shot downwards, bisecting the knight clutching his leg. Idly, Tanya noted that not a single drop of blood stained Greed´s clothes.

“Calling me a monster is laughable. Like dogs were you barking and throwing yourself at me!”

Not even death could stop Regulus from lecturing you it seemed. Another half-hearted kick completely obliterated that shaking warrior who had caused this entire ruckus. Regulus turned to face the crowd and raised his leg again, making everybody present flinch in terror.

She needed to intervene quickly:

“They are not my men! I have no control over their action and distance myself from their shameful behaviour! Please Sir Corneas do not associate our little group with Lady Karsten´s servants! I cannot speak for them, but I believe they were simply overwhelmed by your power and lashed out in the only way their simple minds knew how to react: with anger! They were not raised to be as considerate as I and my companions.”

She threw them under the proverbial bus to save her skin. So what? These idiots had it coming.

“Is that so? I am most kind and merciful, but even my patience has its limits. Their lesser intellects might have driven them to commit this madness, but that does not excuse their actions! They will learn not to assault innocent travellers in the future!”

And with these words he swung his hand down in a horizontal slash.

Chapter Text

Chapter 52

Eight people died and fourteen more were wounded by the blade of hardened air? Energy? Tanya was not sure what Regulus had used, but she had seen how it had cut through the mage shield of her illusionary clone like smoke and that scared her. Invincibility as well as impossibly powerful ranged attacks? No, thank you very much. She would attempt to stay as far away as she could from that monster for the rest of her life.

Fear was a natural reaction of the body that had kept her alive many times. Of course she did not let her emotions control her actions, but on occasion she let them guide her. Right now she had the feeling that if she ever crossed paths with that man again and it came to a confrontation she would die. Her rational brain agreed to this assessment.

To their collective luck Regulus became bored again and decided to leave which no foolish knight objected this time. He simply walked off from where he came before suddenly leaping incredibly high into the sky and disappearing in the clouds.

Tanya as the logical person that she was immediately jumped into action and treated the injured to the best of her abilities. She was no healer, but her first aid measures were sufficient to buy Rem enough time until she could properly close the wounds with her water magic. Some of the soldiers knew such spells as well and further helped speed the process along.

The carriage was repurposed to serve as a temporary hearse which meant that Subaru needed to sit behind another man on a ground dragon. A decision which obviously caused Rem dismay, but otherwise the coach would have become too heavy and they were already slowed down by the many wounded who could not ride very fast unless they wanted to aggravate their injuries.

“So damn slow...” Tanya though as she flew far over the convoy.

After years of flying at speeds only comparable to sports cars on the ground movement seemed like such a chore. At this tempo they would not reach the capital before midnight. All of a sudden she spotted someone running in their direction with great speed.

“Please don´t be another sin archbishop! Being X, I even swear to curse you name slightly less next time we meet if you grant me this small mercy!”

When she could finally make out the features of the rapidly approaching person she sighed in relief. It was Reinhard!

Hadn´t she told Crusch to send a messenger to the Astrea Estate to announce her late return? Had the duchess ultimately ignored her request? Had Reinhard perhaps misinterpreted the message? Or...

Ah. Now she remembered.

That hadn´t happened in this life. Tanya had totally forgotten about asking Crusch for that favour the second time around, because of how urgent it had been to eliminate the sin archbishop of sloth. Damn it! Never before did she have to deal with time travel before!

She descended in front of him and casually waved at him while he kept running with unhuman speed:
“Oh Hello, Reinhard. Am I that late for you to come all the way out here?”

“I was simply concerned and decided to quickly check on you Milady. It is good to see you again, but forgive the question, why are you covered in blood? Are you alright?” he asked slightly alarmed. A reasonable reaction she supposed.

“Nothing to worry about, my knight. None of it is my own.”

“Then who´s is it? Please do not tell me... Did the negotiations go that poorly...”

“No!” she hastily interjected before he could get the wrong ideas. “In fact both the margrave and Lady Emilia were surprisingly cooperative. We set the terms for an official alliance yesterday that will hopefully benefit us as well as the people of Lugnica.”

Tanya decided to make the plan to save her skin sound more altruistic than it really was. Reinhard was a royal knight of Lugnica after all and had sworn to protect the state above all else. A bit more focus on the social aspect of her work couldn´t hurt. (It was not like she was lying either. More peaceful cooperation would not negatively influence the populace.)

“Milady, is the reason for your... state of dress the same that kept you occupied for so long?”

“Yes. You see Rem, Lord Roswaal´s maid and our coach driver, had a... vision of sorts that led me to believe that the Mathers Estate could be under attack.”

“I am deeply sorry to interrupt you Lady Tanya, but why would Rem be the one to drive you home? Whatever happened to the coachman who arrived yesterday? I do not see him among this troupe.”

“Well, he never arrived. I suspect that he fell prey to the White Whale.”

“The White Whale?” he flinched back.

Was even the Sword Saint scared of these beasts? They hadn´t been that hard to kill honestly. Mary Sioux had been way tougher. Although you could make the point that comparing an animal and a human was unfair, in Tanya´s opinion Mary had behaved more like a rabid dog than a human being capable of higher thought.

“Indeed. We actually encountered it on our journey-“

“You what?” he nearly screamed wide-eyed, his knightly composure abandoned momentarily.

“Yes. Together with Subaru I devised a plan to lure it away from our carriage, but I ultimately ended up killing the monster. Well actually there were three of them, so there might be more out there, but I doubt that seeing as Hakugei has not been reported to appear at multiple locations simultaneously, right?”

“Milady...”

Reinhard seemed to be at a loss for words.

“I would be very thankful if you could send a team of butchers with a cart out there to recover its head. It would make for a great trophy to impress the nobles.”

“Of course, Lady Tanya. I know that you speak the truth, but to believe that such a great terror has been slain by you...” he trailed off into a barely audible whisper, “Even after the last Sword Saint was not able to...”

Did he have cramps? For a moment he looked to be in pain.

Suddenly he bowed deeply:
“House Astrea thanks you on the behalf of the Dragon-Kingdom of Lugnica! With your permission I shall deliver this fantastic news to the sage council, so that the whole world may hear of this miracle. I am humbled that my mistress has already carved her name into legend a week after the start of the royal selection!”

Tanya smiled awkwardly and tried to roll with the punches. To refuse him would be disrespectful, but actually she did not want to become famous this early on in the game. That would paint a huge target on her back. Oh well. She could also use the ensuing popularity to her advantage and get ahead of everybody in the royal selection before it even really begun.

“I accept your gratitude my knight, but I could not have accomplished this great feat alone. Lady Emilia´s servant Subaru has been most helpful when we were making plans to defeat the whales. Due to his low status it would not be good if he were to be recognized publicly, but it would only be proper if you would mention in him your report to the council. He strives to become a knight one day and with some initial training I am sure he could achieve his goal.”

“Most certainly.” he nodded.

“Upon the field, after I had already ended the beasts, I came across Lady Crusch´s soldiers who were led by her there for the same purpose.”

“Then where is she...?”

The red-haired knight gasped and looked down at her viscera covered clothes.

“No! Again, not what you are thinking! Honestly, what are you assuming me to be? Some kind of twisted murderer?”

“I would never think of you like that Milady! Please forgive me for the misunderstanding! I meant no insult to you Lady Tanya! I am extremely sorry for the perceived insult!” he bowed again.

“It´s alright Reinhard. Anyways, as I was saying earlier, Rem had a vision and I flew back to the Mathers domain only to find it under attack from the witch´s cult. The sin archbishop of sloth attempted to conduct a barbaric ritual of some sort, but I ended him and his followers which led to my outfit being sullied.”

He stared at her shocked. She noticed now that if you summarized the events of the last few hours it sounded pretty insane.

“My liege, to smite two of the greatest evils in the world over the course of one day is not only remarkable; it is an accomplishment worthy of the Great Sage himself! I have known it before, but it fills my heart with unbelievable joy that I have chosen my master correctly. Of all the candidates you are the only one fit to rule, I am certain.”

“Noooooooooo!” she cried internally. While comforted by the apparent loyalty of her knight, Tanya had no desire to become queen. The only reason she participated and attempted to win in the royal selection was because she did not want to be murdered by the nobles! If she could she would gladly push all the responsibility unto another, more capable person when the time came.

Quickly she tried to deflect the praise before he developed impossible to meet expectations:
“Thank you, but please do not get the wrong impressions about my abilities. There are plenty of things beyond my capabilities. For example, after I had rested a bit we also met the sin archbishop of greed on the way. Luckily, he was relatively peaceful, because we all, including me, were powerless against him.”

“You survived coming face to face with two sin archbishops?” he yelped.

Oh boy. The trip back would be annoying.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reinhard was awed with every fibre of his being. Not only was his Lady powerful, but she was humble too! She would be a perfect queen! No one else could compare.

His Divine Protection of wind reading had confirmed that Tanya´s claims were true and while that filled him with joy and pride for his master, the fact that she had killed the White Whale...

Also filled him with an emotion he couldn´t place.

It felt like loss mixed with... hope? How strange.

The hated enemy that had caused his grandmother´s demise...

The tool of his greatest crime besides merely existing...

The symbol of his shame...

Was gone.

What would his grandf- no Sir Wilhelm say about that? He had lost the right to call him his grandfather when he had murdered Theresia, but would the old man at least find a little more peace after the accursed Hakugei had been destroyed? Reinhard hoped so. He himself did not deserve solace, but Wilhelm did. Hopefully the Sword Demon would not mind that it had been Reinhard´s Lady who had vanquished the monster or monsters as Tanya had described it.

Absent-mindedly he wondered if maybe through his service to the future ruler he could begin to atone.

Chapter Text

Chapter 53

Although Tanya had slept a few hours during her journey that hardly made her feel well rested. The stress of the encounter with Regulus had nullified any relaxation that might have accumulated on the bumpy ride either way. So it was no surprise that youngest royal candidate wolfed down a late dinner after she returned to the Astrea mansion and promptly fell into bed to sleep off the after-effects of using her cursed Type 95 computation jewel twice in one day.

The next morning (which was only a few hours away due to her late arrival) was a beautiful one. At least to her, for she indulged herself in the rare pleasure to just stay down and observe the clouds through the half-open window. Normally there was always something happening that required her attention, but not in this moment it seemed.

And she was thankful for that.

The birds were singing, the wind was rustling through the curtains, the sounds of the already busy city echoed in the distance, the sun shone warmly upon her outstretched hand and most importantly...

There was no danger to her life. Nobody here wanted to kill her either openly or when she wasn´t looking. For the first time since very long ago did she feel safe.

It was a wondrous feeling.

But perhaps, she conceded, the recent events of unsettling revelations and mortal threats were colouring her judgement. Tanya recalled being similarly awed by the soft beds and the delicious food as well after all. Depriving a human of even the most basic delight would naturally make them thankful for its return. That was simple psychology.

Still it didn´t change how exquisitely comfortable she was feeling. Enjoying a calm summer morning in bed had only been possible for her in the past when she was confined to the hospital. Making the most out of unusually positive situation was the most logical decision, she tried to convince herself.

However all good things must come to an end eventually and so the young woman forced herself out of bed when the maids came knocking to dress her for the day. Initially she resisted, because she could pick her outfit herself, but after a few minutes of arguing it felt petty and pointless to resist any longer. This fantasy world appeared to be in the Middle Ages so these kinds of rituals were most likely expected from members of the nobility.

The upside to being cared for like a baby was also that she got served an opulent breakfast which made her appreciate the efforts of the servants more. Afterwards however the work day began for her as well. She even felt a little guilty by lazing around, because Reinhard had apparently already left the house to inform the council of yesterday’s happenings and organize for the remains of the White Whale to be recovered. What an excellent subordinate... How could she reward him if he kept that work ethic up?

Food for thought. For now she had to spread the webs of her small (but growing) social network. For example she started to write a letter to Subaru who had to stay at Crusch´s mansion for his treatment. Unfortunately this would pull him out of her sphere of influence for a while and she could not publicly visit him without arousing suspicion. So she would instead converse with him through letters under the guise of advising him on his training for knighthood. Yes, that would be a perfectly believable excuse that would also make him more dependent on her guidance! Now she was extra glad that she had planted this foolish desire in the boy.

Another letter was addressed at Lady Karsten herself to propose a possible location and date for their meeting. In return for the duchess´s “assistance” against Petelgeuse Tanya had promised her negotiations about a possible alliance and she intended to keep that promise. Crusch had stayed behind at the Mathers estate to talk with Emilia and if their conversation had turned out amiably then nothing should stand in the way of a three-way truce. (Or so she liked to think. Being X regularly dashed her hopes for peace.)

A butler recommended a nice restaurant at the edge of the city to her to serve as the meeting place. It was “neutral ground” so to speak, in contrast to either their respective homes. The man helpfully reminded her that it would send mixed signals if she wanted to discuss conditions on “her territory”. Yet she could also not risk letting Crusch dictate the terms of their small conference. Meeting in a public space was ideal.

Before she could begin to draw up lesson plans for her newly formed battalion or educate herself more on the political landscape of Lugnica a servant reminded her that the bath she had ordered to be drawn was now ready. She urgently needed to clean herself from yesterday´s carnage, because dumping a bucket of cold water over herself a few hours earlier did not count.

Yes. A proper bath would do her well.

Omake: Tanya washes herself?

(For the degenerates of my discord server. Blame ZorionCosima! You won´t miss anything if you don´t read this so you can skip it if you are not a fan of slightly NSFW stuff! This is my first time writing anything that could be vaguely considered smut and it is shamelessly self-indulgent. You have been warned!) Imagine the OC to look and speak somewhat like Lupusregina Beta from Overlord.

Tanya sat and stared silently. It wasn´t often that she spent her time doing something this unproductive, but the situation warranted it. Reverently she watched and didn´t dare to move a muscle, almost as if she was living through a divine experience. What could it be that had entranced the normally stoic girl so much?

Water.

Clear, aromatic, steaming water.

The way it flowed into the basin was simply mesmerizing. Seldom had she seen something so inviting and beautiful. This bath was calling to her on a primal level that not even the cursed corruption of the Type 95 could accomplish.

Her silent amazement was disturbed by the sounds of clothes crumpling to the floor. She turned her head only to immediately avert it again in embarrassment. Karmila, the maid who had prepared the bath with soaps and oils, had begun disrobing herself. She was a well-endowed woman with long, red hair who appeared to be in her early twenties. Understandably Tanya was put off guard by her behaviour.

“W-what are you doing?” Tanya asked somewhat flustered.

“Stripping Milady.” she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, in a way it kind of was reasoned Tanya´s brain unhelpfully.

“But why?”

The maid looked like she had just asked her why coaches had wheels. Was the answer that apparent?

“I cannot wash you properly from outside the bath Milady. So I shall join you.”

All Tanya could do was nod as if she actually agreed with the reasoning. It was a good argument that she couldn´t refute easily without making herself look like either a fool or a slave driver. After a short moment of silence she desperately blurted out the first thing that came to mind before the servant could undress herself further.

 “That won´t be necessary! I can wash myself!”

“Nonsense Milady. You won´t be able to reach all the places and someone of your standing deserves to be cleaned suitably! Besides, it won´t do for a noble lady to wash herself! Just relax Milady. You will be in good hands.”

“I guess...”

The little, blond girl was less than enthusiastic to be seen naked and touched by a stranger, but she had survived worse. If this was the social norm here then what could she do? When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

So she begrudgingly took off her own clothes and stepped into the gigantic pool without looking back. There was a bench underwater where she could comfortably sit mostly submerged and enjoy the pleasantly scented water.

Karmila slid into the water behind her and brought Tanya´s back to her sizable chest.

“Oh no! I can feel everything...” thought an uncharacteristically blushing blonde. While she had seen naked woman before it was still an incredibly rare experience. And despite the fact that she had accepted the sex change from her first life long ago her preferences for the female gender had stayed the same. This was more arousing than anything she had done in both her lives!

Her body tensed, but Karmila gently petted her head.

“Hush... Just relax Milady. First let us get all the filth and grime off you, shall we?”

The maid had grabbed a washcloth from somewhere behind her and started to softly wipe along Tanya´s arms.

“Ahhhh...”

She couldn´t help but sigh blissfully as the piece of flannel slowly dragged itself over her body. The way its rough texture rubbed over her sensitive scars, both new and old, acquired from a thousand battles, was sensational.

In the last few months after the heat of the war had died down she had a few truly pleasant moments. A hug from Visha, a bar of chocolate, the meals here in Lugnica, the bed in Reinhard´s home...

But none could compare to the feeling of pure pleasure that wracked her body upon being washed now. Of course she had cleaned herself as regularly as she could and as someone of noble status she had access to plenty clean water in Lugnica. Nonetheless Tanya had always held her visits to the bathhouse quick and “professional”. She was a busy woman after all and every moment that she wasted could become her downfall in this unknown land.

There had never been a day to relax like this.

Not truly.

Not since...

Since when?

When had she specifically taken time just for herself? Not in her first life as a salaryman. Not in her second life as a child soldier.

Involuntarily she sucked her breath in due to the shock.

All this time she had put her job first before her own well-being. Anyways... The existential crisis would have to wait for later. For now she would seize this opportunity and use it for all it was worth. She snuggled deeper into the warm embrace of the maid who carefully let the cloth trail over her pale skin.

On and on it went in small circles to loosen all the dirt and blood that had accumulated. It stained the water but seemed to instantly vanish. How was that possible? Magic probably. She needed to know if she could learn that spell...

“Lady Tanya, are you comfortable?”

She hummed as an answer and closed her eyes to fully concentrate on the texture of the cloth and the skin contact on her back. It just felt too good.

Karmila delicately touched under her chin and ran her long fingers over her collarbone which caused a slight shiver to go through her body.

“Stay calm, Tanya... This is normal... Socially acceptable stuff... You´re supposed to enjoy it...”

The need for closeness and personal intimacy was present in all mammals, especially those with highly developed brains. It was a simple rule of biology that Tanya had successfully ignored throughout the last few decades of her existence. For this reason it came to no surprise that her repressed urges broke themselves free and violently flooded her mind with unknown feelings.

“Ahhhhh...” she shuddered as her nerves felt like they were being lit on fire.

“What a beautiful body you have Milady. So much hardship has been drawn on your skin. You must be so strong.” Karmila whispered into her ear as she leisurely traced a particularly large scar on her stomach. It was unclear to her foggy mind if it was the touch or the words which gave her goosebumps.

Most of her past injuries had become faint silver scratches that were nearly unperceivable, but this one was pink instead. It was where Mary had rammed her dastardly bayonet into her and the potent magic saturating the blade had made it impossible for the wound to fully heal like the rest.

“Ughhh...” was the only response that Tanya´s tongue could form.

“But today nobody will watch you Milady. Today you can be just yourself without any worries.” she continued.

The maid made a show of wringing the washcloth out over the water before carrying on with washing Tanya´s upper belly.

“It has only been a couple days since you came into this house, but I have never seen Master Reinhard so happy and full of life. You have given him new purpose beyond being the sword saint of Lugnica. We all are very thankful for that.”

“Eep!” shrieked the Argent as her servant touched her mostly flat chest. Not there was much to touch after a lifetime of malnutrition and puberty-preventing stress. Nonetheless had the sudden contact on the sensitive flesh startled her.

“Hush Milady... You are very pretty. There is no need for you to be ashamed of such a wonderful body.”

Had the water become hotter somehow? Tanya tried to squirm out of Karmila´s lap but the older woman held her pressed against her large chest.

“Hold still please, so I may wash you.”

Tanya noted the futility of her struggle since she would need to use a strength enhancement spell to break free and resigned herself to her fate. It was for the best. Although a small part of her demanded to take back control of the situation and clean herself a much larger part relished the attention she was receiving.

If she was honest with herself...

Then she wanted to be touched there.

She could resist right now like she had done countless times with the temptations and poisonous promises of Bing X, but what would be the point? Karmila was right. Today was the one day where she would finally let loose.

As a result she fully melted into the embrace.

One hand lifted from her torso to her head and began to affectionately stoke her hair. The other drew slow circles around her breast which caused Tanya to shiver again.

“You are stunning Milady. Although it seems that I will have to tell the cook to increase your portions a bit. Imagine how much better you will look with some more flesh on your ribs.” she grinned into her ear. Tanya herself smiled as well; already excited for the heavenly food she was going to eat.

Her maid switched to the other side of her chest and used more stimulating rubs this time. Tanya gasped and she laughed quietly. It was a nice sound in Tanya´s opinion. Full of contentment and fondness. She wouldn´t mind hearing more of it.

The moment appeared to last a small eternity until Karmila withdrew her hand and she instantly missed the contact. An unhappy mewl escaped her lips which she instantly regretted. Karmila chuckled and gave her breast one last teasing flick.

“Now Lady Tanya, please lean forward. Your back must be washed too, you know? I am sure I can handle it just as enjoyable as your front side.” she smirked with a certain smugness that made Tanya eager to know what exactly she had in mind. The problem was only that her limbs felt like they had dissolved into butter and wouldn´t move a centimetre.

“Ughaa... Can´t...”

“Aww... Already spent? I see... Fufufu.”

A soft arm snaked itself around her shoulders and lowered her closer to the steaming surface of the water while the second expertly massaged all the strained muscles in her back. Knots that had remained tense for months became loose and overwhelmed Tanya with unexpected pleasure. Never before had she moaned this loud. Panic set in and she hastily slapped a hand over her mouth, splashing water everywhere.

“No need to hold back Milady. I am the only person who can hear you. Let it all out. It´s quite cute fufufu.”

Normally she would have resented any attempt to categorize her as cute, but today she decided to let it slide. Endearing herself to the mansion staff could only be beneficial after all.

Promptly another blissful moan tore itself from her throat as Karmila worked her magic hands on her. She lost track of time again as the maid kneaded her entire shoulders, switching from side to side with her hands and occasionally rubbing her with the washcloth. The whole event blurred together into a haze of delight and relief. It was – for lack of a better word – divine.

“Wasn´t that nice Milady? How about we scrub those shapely legs of yours now, hmm?”

“Yeee...” she slurred out and Karmila chuckled.

“I am happy that I could be of service Milady. Your pleasure is my reward.”

As if to emphasize her point the washcloth dipped in between her legs and rubbed over her thigh. She jerked from the touch of such a private place on her body as well as the improper thoughts that entered her mind upon contact. This situation was getting too lewd!

“Now, now Lady Tanya. Don´t squirm and let your trusty maid take care of you. She will make you feel good if you act like the good girl you were undoubtedly taught to be. Are you a good girl Lady Tanya?”

Much to her embarrassment her head unconsciously nodded and Karmila´s grip on her smaller body tightened. This was so degrading! But also enticing! What was going on? Why was she feeling so strange? Something had to be wrong!

“Wonderful.” the maid breathed into her ear as all her senses screamed ‘danger’.

Agonizingly sluggish the cloth continued its path along her thigh until it rubbed her knee. Tanya let out a sigh of relief now that she had seemingly escaped the compromising position only for Karmila´s hand to return to her inner thigh and make her tense again. The redhead pretended not to notice and dutifully continued her work.

“Don´t worry Milady. I am your loyal servant and will fulfil your every wish. I will not hurt you. You are safe.”

Tanya forced herself to nod. Making her subordinate´s job harder would be rude and could reflect poorly on her character. Nobody was watching. She just needed to relax and get this over with.

“Good girl.”

Her breathing quickened. Why was the woman saying that?

The cloth ghosted over her core and she shivered again. Had her toes not already been curled then they would be now. She avoided touching herself down there as much as possible, because it still reminded her of all the torment that Being X had inflicted upon her with the forced gender swap. And when that time of the month came... ugh. She didn´t even want to think about it!

But the touch of another person on her most private part stoked a fire in her belly she had never known. Mercifully Karmila moved on quickly to her other thigh, so the heat in her core had the opportunity to subside. At least that was what the logical part of her brain tried to reason before it was squashed by a wave of longing and disappointment. It had felt so good and she wanted more!

“Honestly Tanya... How shameless can you get! Getting aroused by being washed! You are lucky she hasn´t noticed yet! This could count as sexual harassment!”

“Now I am going to let go of you for a minute or else I won´t be able to reach your feet Milady.”

True to her word the maid carefully pulled Tanya out of her lap and stood up to walk deeper into the water. Tanya could not help but stare at her wet skin under the dim light. How the water drops were running down her back. How her breasts swung with each step. How...

“Enjoying the show Milady?”

“Uh...” was Tanya´s more than lame response as her brain short-circuited.

“It´s alright. It is good to know that I have a body that pleases the eye of my Lady. Fufufu...”

The redhead lifted one of Tanya´s legs and started scrubbing her foot under the water. She was very thorough in cleaning in between the toes and concentrated fully on her task. From time to time she would grab various flasks with oils and other liquids from the edge of the tub and tenderly massage them into the skin.

Meanwhile her charge was rather focused on not ogling at the bountiful chest that was barely touching the surface of the pool and swayed hypnotically with each movement. Instead her eyes were glued to the tip of Karmila´s tongue which stuck out cutely from her lips. Those full red lips that seemed just perfect to...

“Oh Milady... Are you getting excited? Fufufu... I know I am.”

“Wha-”

“Hush, Lady Tanya. It is only natural. A healthy, young woman like you should react that way.”

Really? She was no expert on female psychology and nobody had ever bothered to explain how she was supposed to feel as a woman, but that did seem strange. Perhaps homosexuality was expected in this kingdom? Like in medieval Japan or ancient Greece in her original world. But Karmila was basically her employee! She couldn´t take advantage of her like that! The lawsuits would tarnish her reputation forever as some kind of pervert!

There was only one solution: “Better deny everything!”

“I was not... uh... I could not possibly...”

“Wonderful job Tanya! Bumbling like an oaf will make you definitely seem less like a pervert!” she thought sarcastically.

“Everything is alright. These feet look like they have not been treated properly in ages! Of course you will feel good when they are finally treated with the care they deserve. I know you were a soldier Milady, but you need to take more care of yourself!”

What?

“I... had not much time for such frivolities, you see...”

“Well, be that as it may, you now have me! So don´t hesitate to call on me whenever you desire!” Karmila beamed at her with a cute wink.

Tanya dumbly nodded and pressed her eyes shut to not lose further control. Her body was acting up strangely and her improper urges were clouding her mind. She needed to not lose focus regardless of amazing she felt right now! So she distracted herself by making up complex mathematical problems and solving them. After a while she drifted off into a light nap only to be awoken by the gentle shaking of her shoulder.

“Hey, hey, hey Milady. Wake up! We are not done here. Fufufu...”

“I apologize...” she groaned.

Groggily she followed Karmila´s instruction and let her wash her face. If possible her slender fingers felt even better when they brushed tenderly over her face or entangled themselves in Tanya´s wild hair. The floral scent of the soap and the steady strokes over her scalp were soothing enough to nearly lull her to sleep again.

Suddenly she felt the maid under her adjust her grip before lifting Tanya´s small body up and out of the water.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked (too surprised to care about how undignified she sounded), clinging tightly to the redhead to preserve her body warmth.

“Drying you Milady!” grinned the woman cheekily.

With great enthusiasm she produced a towel from seemingly nowhere and used it to rub her up and down until Tanya´s skin reddened. If it coloured from returning shame or from the comparatively rough treatment was impossible to discern.

Karmila leaned in close one last time breathily snickered into her ear:
“I guessed that you were uncomfortable with such intimacy Milady, so I went easy on you today. Next time I´ll be more... thorough... Fufufu...”

Needless to say that Tanya was full on panicking in that moment due to her standard reaction to unknown feelings: Evade and eradicate with utmost prejudice!

Even though her body would have liked nothing more than to stay in the comfortable bath and experiment with these new tempting sensations her deeply ingrained paranoia would not permit her to enjoy herself. This was all too new, too dangerous and too unfamiliar for her! So she hastily made her retreat out of the bath under the gaze of a highly amused Karmila.

Chapter Text

Chapter 54

Reinhard joined her for dinner that evening. He had been very busy running errands throughout the city which left Tanya to question why he constantly did all the work himself. Of course he had his duties as the head of his noble house and as a royal knight, but did they really require him to run around on foot like a common mail boy? Delegating simpler tasks to your subordinates was how work hierarchy functioned after all. Human society was built on the concept of diving and diversifying labour.

He claimed that he didn´t mind the menial labour and that his status as the Sword Saint made it so that he basically never tired, but Tanya was sceptical. In the future she would need to keep a close eye on him so he did not overwork himself. If he had breakdown due to stress that would be terrible for her!

The next day she felt more than refreshed enough to inspect her troops. She needed to see how far Reinhard´s training had settled in for the new recruits. Tanya had promised her 204^th battalion hell and they should not think that they would get off easy just because she had been away for a week on a diplomatic mission.

Soon, very soon, they would be broken down, pieced back together and subsequently polished until they had completely been transformed from filthy slum rats into monsters of steel and ruthlessness. Tanya was confident that with her past experience as a teacher they would successfully be reshaped as some of the finest soldiers Lugnica had ever seen. (If they didn´t die before then, but that was highly unlikely, seeing how abundant magical healers were in this world.)Then they would finally become a useful asset to society, instead of wasting away in unemployment.

With an anticipatory glint in her icy, blue eyes she strode through the halls and into the courtyard where her future instruments of violence were stationed. It was still early in the morning, but if the recruits had followed her instructions then they should already be out of bed and clothed for the day. If not then they were in for a rude awakening.

“Assemble!” she barked out, her magically enhanced vocal cords rattling the nearby windows.

Many shocked faces pressed themselves against the glass and she had suppress a smirk. Rookies were too easy to frighten. A few minutes went by before she made a head count and became a little disappointed that nobody had shown up late or in their pyjamas. That would have given her an excellent opportunity to make an example out of the poor fool. Well, that would most likely still happen in the upcoming weeks when they needed every minute of rest they could get and slept in.

“Greetings my hopeful applicants! I hope the time has not been boring without me. Are you still absolutely determined that you want to grasp this opportunity I gave to you? That this is the right job for you?”

Low murmurs filled the air and her smile turned cruel.

“Have you already forgotten me? I go out for barely one week and you think you can do whatever you want? Speak up, because I can´t hear you lot!”

Tanya gave them her best glare to properly scare them into submission.

“NO, SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!” they shouted as taught.

The execution was messy, but they had much time to learn. Honestly, the military terminology had no real value in this world because Lugnica’s military was organized differently, but she forced them to use it anyway. It reminded her of fun times.

One man had decided to keep his mouth closed and stared lazily at his feet. Unacceptable.

She pointed at him: “You there! Run five laps around the field.”

“Ohh why? I didn´t even-“

“Silence! Make that ten laps before I get really pissed off. And trust me you don´t want that to happen if you value your health. What are you waiting for? Go, go, go! Or I let you run until you pass out from exhaustion!”

He took off and Tanya could finally see the collective realization set in that this training would not be enjoyable. They looked like mice in front of a snake who knew that they were about to get eaten.

“So do you know what I have been up to in my absence? I´ll indulge you. We are now allied with the Emilia Camp and if things go smoothly soon with the Crusch Camp as well.”

Some whispers broke out and thanks to an auditory amplification formula she could make out some stupid comment about a half-devil. Bigoted discrimination against her business partner could not be tolerated.

“What you think about these people is irrelevant! If you can´t keep your prejudiced opinions to yourself then I will gladly escort you to the front gate. I have no time for people that want to prove the world wrong about what they can and cannot do while simultaneously judging others without even meeting them! All you need to know is that we have probably less enemies now. Isn´t that a reason to be excited?”

“YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!”

“Good. Because I think so as well. Anyways do you have heard what else I did two days ago? I killed a sin archbishop of the witch´s cult and the White Whale Hakugei.”

A chaos of disbelieving voices broke and Tanya let her recruits express their confusion for a bit. “What?”, “How can that be?”, “How in Shaula´s name-“, “That´s impossible!” and “I'm telling you she ain´t human!” were among the loudest and most often repeated yells before she suppressed all sound in the area with a spell.

“Enough. If you do not believe me than I implore you to visit the great entrance hall later today. They should have mounted the beast´s head by then.”

Removing and stuffing the colossal head of the whale had been accomplished far quicker than she could have imagined. Once again she had to admire Reinhard´s competence and diligence in carrying out her orders. On the other side, water magic apparently helped a lot with the process.

In a few days time everybody would know about Hakugei´s death anyway, so it was useless to keep her kill a secret. Instead she had decided together with her knight that a trophy made from its body would do nicely at the entrance door to remind every visitor of their camp´s power. The exhibit was nearly seven metres long and would take up much space, but they both agreed that sheer awe-inspiring oppressiveness would be worth it.

“Now... I have heard from Reinhard what he had you do last week. But that, my beloved recruits,” she ginned savagely “was just a warm-up! On the ground everybody! I want to see thirty pushups now!”

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Felt was immensely glad for the torture Tanya called training. She was no weirdo who enjoyed pain or anything like that, but the relentless cries in her ear, the feeling of the rough gravel on her hands, the overwhelming physical exhaustion... it distracted her. It numbed the pain in her heart.

Two weeks ago her life had looked so differently. Everything had been so much harder and yet also simpler at the same time. She had just been Felt the thief, the fasted runner in the capital and orphan from the slums. Nothing more and nothing less. But she had hated that life! Or had she? She wasn´t so sure anymore.

Day in, day out she had left the slums to steal from the rich and give to herself which had worked splendidly so far. Of course there had been more than a few close calls over the years where she had nearly been caught, but through a miracle she had managed to escape every time. Then in the evening or sometimes the early morning she came back to the loot house and had to endure the stench of misery once again.

All those weak, suffering people on the streets... and they did nothing to better their situation! They had given up! How pathetic. Felt worked hard (it was honest work from her perspective at least) to improve her living conditions and one day make it of this shit hole that she would never call “home”. Because to describe it as anything but a cesspool of hopelessness and decay would mean that she developed a connection to this place. A connection that could bind her to the slums forever and she feared nothing more than that. To be stuck in this garbage dump for the rest of her life was worse than hell itself in her opinion.

Felt swore to herself that she would become strong.

Strong enough to escape and build a true life for herself and those she cared about. (Which only really was Rom, but later in life she would certainly make more friends.)

So when a mysterious client approached her with an offer of ten holy gold coins how could she say no? This was the money she needed! Finally her ticket to a new, prosperous life was in reach...

And she took the job like an idiot.

Like a stupid fucking kid who didn´t know any better!

“Agggggghhhhh!” she screamed in frustration as she punched the training dummy so hard that her arm became numb.

The deal was supposed to get her and Old Man Rom out of the slums. Instead it got the only person she would consider family killed.

Because that black-haired bitch decided it would be fun to play with his guts. Because she had been too weak to fight back. Because the only thing she could do was run. Because she had failed the mission like a damn child. So many reasons why he was dead...

So many reasons to blame everyone and herself.

Including the strange blonde watching her train with these piercing, blue, crystal eyes. If Tanya had not intervened and taken the insignia she stole then maybe that bitch wouldn´t have turned her blade on them. Maybe...

It was enough to drive her sick.

She punched the dummy again with more force than was healthy.

“And? So what?” Felt asked herself silently.

Even if they got the money what would she have done with it? Where would she have gone? Where would she have worked? Would she have continued to steal, because it was the only skill she possessed?

She didn´t know.

And that hurt the most. Her future had always been uncertain. The knowledge that all the money she wanted would probably not have helped her find her place in the world felt suffocating.

When she strained her body hard enough and focused all her attention on accomplishing tasks and following orders then that weight got pushed to the back of her mind and life seemed bearable. She simply wanted to forget it all. Felt had nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, so she would accept this path Tanya had laid out for her and hope for the best. It was her only choice. Anything was better than to become one of those living husks in the slums.

At least now she had an actual goal:

To get stronger so that nobody could ever hurt her again and to show all those self-righteous nobles and ignorant citizens that she and those by her side would not be forgotten! If Tanya wanted her to be a killer then she would become the deadliest there was. Felt would carve her name into history itself!

Chapter Text

Chapter 55

“All done for now. You can go Subaru-kyun...” grinned Felix, otherwise known as the Blue Knight or the best healer in Lugnica.

Despite Subaru´s subdued mood the silly antics of the cute catgirl made him quirk up his lips as well.

“Thank you Felix. I´ll be in the library.”

Although he had gotten better at it he still needed to learn much about the written language of Lugnica. Reading books and copying the glyphs down on paper until he could write them effortlessly was the best way to improve.

“I´m in a new world where the people have magic and crazy hair colours, but I still think her name is weird for a female.” he thought to himself.

Crusch´s library was far less impressive than Beako´s “Multipurpose Room”. He missed the adorable loli spirit already. Maybe he could buy her something to show his appreciation for...

Actually that didn´t happen in this timeline, did it?

Damn it. Constantly looping was confusing as hell. The only thing he could be certain of was his feelings. And they clearly told him that he should thank Beako despite her remembering events differently from him. He owed her for a past that never was and a future that would not come to be.

Furthermore he just wanted to make her smile. She was just too cute not to smile!

Distracted by his happy thoughts of the adorable librarian he didn´t even notice Rem seemingly appearing at his side from thin air.

“How was your session Subaru?”

“Ahh! Oh Rem, it´s you. Scared me a bit there. Hehe.”

Quickly his mind wandered back to less than pleasant memories when she had managed to surprise him with a far more fatal outcome.

“I am sorry Subaru. Rem will be louder in the future so that your deaf ears can notice her presence.”

“Hey! I am not deaf! You are just super stealthy.”

“I believe the correct description would be ‘super ultra stealthy’.”

“Where did you even learn that word?” he asked genuinely confused.

“From you Subaru. Rem always listens when you speak after all.”

“Oh yeah. That sounds like something I would say.”

Silence reigned once again only to be occasionally disturbed by the furious scribbling of a quill on paper. Not only did he want to be done with writing exercises for today but he was also eager for his upcoming lesson in swordsmanship by Wilhelm. Who would have thought that the old man could dish be so fast and agile! Even though the wait-haired butler had undoubtedly held back in their match yesterday Subaru was still humbled by the skill he showed.

“Well in all the anime shows I´ve watched butlers are also always cool fighters. I should have expected that to be honest.” he silently chuckled to himself.

Even though he was anticipating the day when Felix finally healed his damaged gate so that he could work on his shadow magic again, he also wanted at Crusch´s mansion as long as possible to get taught by Wilhelm. If he became a knight he could do all this cool stuff he only did in games before. He would be useful!

And there went his good mood again.

As if she could sense the shift in his emotions Rem asked:
“Is something troubling you Subaru?”

“No. Everything´s alright. Just tired.” he lied with practiced ease.

In reality he was anything but alright. He was lost and sad and, most of all, confused.

When he had to watch how Emilia, Rem and Tanya had been killed right in front of eyes he felt as small and weak as never before. Of all the things Subaru wanted to avoid was seeing his friends in pain and he felt guilty that he had not been able to do more. So enveloped in a spiral of self-hatred and pity had he been that he had not even noticed the difference occurring in the next loop.

Only when Tanya had dropped the metaphorical bombshell on him that she knew about Return by Death had he finally understood.

He was not alone!

But then the stupid sin archbishop had shown up and ruined their conversation! There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but it never came to be. Then they had to separate when she and the red-haired dude went off to their own home and he had to go with the rest of Crusch´s men.

Actually the redhead looked kind of familiar now that he thought about it. He strongly resembled that one, nice guard who had helped Subaru out once when he was getting mugged for the fourth time. What had been his name again? Re...Rainholm? No...

It probably wasn´t the same guy anyway. What were the chances of that?

He was ripped from his musing by Rem who had miraculously vanished and reappeared to present him with two expensive looking envelopes.

“Subaru, you have mail.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tanya was only mildly annoyed when her knight delivered the news to her that the council was planning a ball in her (and Subaru´s) honour. From Crusch´s and Reinhard´s reaction she had already guessed that the defeat of a wanted mass murderer and a few wild beasts was considered a noteworthy event that “needed to be celebrated” by the lazy elite who had no clue what a real battle looked like. She had attended similar festivities in the Empire and as a result she was under no illusion that this occasion would be a dreadfully boring waste of time.

Well, as always she would make the best of it and use the fest to form connections with people whose purse was bigger than their brain. If she could she would wring this useless elite dry for every last coin. And perhaps a couple of them would make good allies in case they had earned their position with more than their birth right. Exceptions were always bound to happen.

The ball was scheduled to commence in three days time, because many of the nobles that had come to the capital to attend the opening of the royal selection had either not departed the city yet or were not far away. Tanya could only scoff when Reinhard explained to her that most important figures travelled comparatively slow, preferring comfort and frequent rests over effectiveness. Such a thing would have never gone unpunished in the Empire.

Luckily she wouldn´t need to prepare anything as the ceremony was hosted at the royal palace. That would also save the Astrea household (and by extension her) a lot of money.

Less nice was that it was at the end of the day still a ball which meant that she was required to at least lead the first dance. Had the (surprisingly progressive) rights in this land not allowed her to attend without a dress then she would have faked a leg injury to weasel her way out of doing more than sitting and eating. The people regarded her as a hero right? Surely they would not criticise her for prioritizing her health over silly rituals.

Of course they would. Humans were irrational creatures that took offense on nonsense like that.

Anyways, as long as she didn´t get pressed into a frilly, feminine, impractical monster of silk and satin the fest wouldn´t be too bad. If she used Reinhard as a convenient dance partner then she wouldn´t even need to let any of the nobles touch her with more than a handshake! (As a bonus he would also ensure her flawless appearance on the dance floor with his Divine Protection of the dancer. Yes, as stupid as it sounded that skill was apparently real.)

Tanya had not much time to prepare her troops until the evening of the ball, but she wasn´t concerned too much about that initially. A gathering of the most important people in the kingdom would obviously have excellent security that would keep them all safe. She wouldn´t really need them as possible meat shields.

Then she remembered how literally nobody at the opening of the royal selection had noticed her fresh recruits outside the windows and beneath palace.

Oh no.

The best warriors in the country had been oblivious to a band of half-starved rookies.

They could have slaughtered at least a dozen nobles at her command.

And it would have been easy.

...

The royal knights were really incompetent, weren´t they?

That wouldn´t be such a problem if the royal family hadn´t been mysteriously wiped out a few years ago. Reinhard was uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the event, but she knew that it had been caused by a sickness of some sorts that only targeted members of the kings’ bloodline. While biological warfare was a terrifying concept that she was thankful to have never faced during the Great War, it painted a bleak picture for her future after the royal selection.

With guards like those “protecting” her life she was as good as dead when she became queen. What was stopping the creators of the virus to just make one targeted at her? Or just sneak into the palace through the sewers like her soon-to-be soldiers had done and slit her throat? Damn it! This whole monarchy business was shaping up to be more dangerous than the war in her last world!

Back then she only had to deal with open warfare. It was as simple as it was brutal. Point your gun at the enemy and hit them more than they hit you. That was all there was to it.

Acts of sabotage or espionage had been dealt with by the intelligence division! She had never been trained in this field! Her expertise lay in all kinds of modern, magical warfare, but fending off attacks from the shadows was not part of her resume! Of course she had known all that or else she would not even participate in the royal selection, but only at this moment did she realize how gravely she had underestimated the severity of the situation.

And to make things worse she had almost certainly angered the mightiest terrorist organization on the continent! Everything was going downhill fast.

What if someone like Petelgeuse showed up at the ball?

Or Regulus?

Tanya shivered. To be fair, in that case she would be as helpless as the royal knights. There was nothing she could do against him short of turning the entire palace into rubble in hopes that he suffocated underneath. Maybe Reinhard could...?

No. Putting her strongest asset in unnecessary danger (besides Subaru) was not worth the risk. Surely her personal knight would also find himself powerless against the sin archbishop´s invulnerability.

Maybe the lacking security at the castle was by design. Maybe the council understood that they could do nothing against the inevitable and instructed the guards to focus on looking impressive and strong rather than uselessly struggle against an overwhelming threat. Keeping morale high on a sinking ship was important after all, or else the ensuing panic would prevent anyone from getting to the lifeboats.

Going to the celebration suddenly looked like a far less innocent endeavour.

On one hand, if she went to such a public and well-known event then the possibility that she might die was not insubstantial. On the other hand she could not let her paranoia win over and let her fears dictate her life. Crossing the street was dangerous. Cleaning your rifle was dangerous. Gutting an enemy mage mid flight was dangerous. Every time she went out on a mission for the Empire she had comprehended that it could lead to her death.

The White Silver would not be frightened by bio weapons and seemingly supernatural criminals.

All humans had to embrace their mortality at some point in time and she was no different from the rest!

Except...

That wasn´t true, was it?

Tanya had died twice now. The first time it had ended with her reincarnation, courtesy of Being X and the second time...

She had looped?

Until now she had repressed the memory of her second death a few days ago, but she had not forgotten a single detail about it. How could she not? It just didn´t make any sense, contradicting the laws of causality and reason. Somehow she had the gut feeling that her involuntary time travel was not Being X´s work, as he had not excessively gloated about his newest idiocy to her. It was too simple, too direct to be his design.

Whoever or whatever had revived her would bring her more trouble. Somehow she just knew it.

(“Foxxe” reminded me that I like writing poems even though I am not very good at it. So I made a new one in his honour. This time it is entirely canon! If you can figure out what everything means I give you a cookie.)

Bonus: Intangible ownership

Twice the life and twice the pain,

and now joins an unending curse,

to deny rest and force life again.

Looping darkness pulls the hearse.

A selfish wish for salvation,

tricks death and guides her hand.

Into eternal stagnation,

leads her the lover´s brand.

From one fool to another,

jumps her invisible chain.

They bring her only bother,

with nothing much to gain.

It is her unjust sentence,

for being more than allowed,

and showing no repentance,

when still she never bowed.

Though also it is her reward,

as she proved brave and strong.

Only the one most adored,

sees the gift is deeply wrong.

Maddened passion sickens all,

despite true and good intent,

pulls sick and weak into its thrall,

while sane suffer its torment.

How can an unknowing guard,

protect the victim of her master?

Blind to the council of her heart,

all signs point to disaster.

Chapter Text

Chapter 56

There stood it, propped up on her desk.

A small, unassuming casket, lined with red velvet.

It would have been a harmless looking object, pleasant even with its intricate details that had been carefully carved into the wood.

But alas Tanya could only feel dread whenever her eyes wandered over to its frame. For inside shimmered a bright, golden gemstone on a silver necklace that seemed to almost call out for her to touch it. The jewel appeared perfectly smooth to the touch and practically brimmed with mesmerizing light. It was that strange amulet which Regulus had delivered to her for some nebulous reason.

She had put off examining the potentially dangerous object until now so that the magician Reinhard had hired could examine it closely. In case it suddenly blew up or carried some nasty curse she wanted to be as far away as possible from it.

Despite her precautions she honestly doubted that it was a trap designed to physically harm her. If Regulus had wanted her dead then he could have easily accomplished that with his own powers. He had no need to rely on such cheap tricks like curses or poisons, because his own powers were far more effective in eliminating others.

Non-physical harm though was a different story.

What if the witch's cult planned to mind control her? Or steal her soul or something like that? Nothing seemed impossible for these freaks. So hopefully the magician had activated every single trap in that item before she took it herself. Although he was not the most capable magic expert even a fool like him could trigger a metaphorical tripwire. Dogs and rats had been used with great success to set off landmines in the past.

Of course the safest and most logical thing to do would be to quietly dispose of the necklace and never go near it again, but she was just too curious. For all his excessive talking about his supposed superiority the sin archbishop of greed had appeared far more calm and reasonable than the raving madman Petelgeuse. He didn´t strike her as the kind of person who would go out of their way to promote some pointless delusion without evidence that it would be worth their effort. As such, the probability that his words had some kind of truth to them was relatively high in her opinion. (At least for a member of a religious terrorist sect.)

He had claimed that the artefact was of “grave importance for the future” whatever that meant and as such she could not ignore it (as much as she wanted to). Tanya had never been a person who ran from her problems if she could solve them so that they would not come back to inconvenience her later. This mysterious object could be source of innumerable troubles in the future if she did not discern its function.

In the best possible scenario it was just a piece of pretty, useless jewellery, but should worst come to worst then it could be something like a magical nuke.

Well, she had stalled enough time now. She had stared at the accursed stone for nearly an hour with nothing to show for it so she needed to come to a decision. Time was money and money was always in short supply.

Hesitantly she stretched her finger out and gingerly touched the golden glowing gemstone, letting her magic flow through her skin into the object.

A decision she came to instantly regret as her vision blacked out and she was promptly sucked into a white room of pure nothingness. A blinding, uniform void surrounded her on all sides and made it impossible to tell if the empty space had an up or down or a definitive border. However when she looked hurriedly down at herself she could also find no physical body, leading to the realization that what she was experiencing was most likely not real.

Looking around was obviously pointless as there were no directions or shapes that could catch her metaphysical eyes, but Tanya did it anyway.

Pure white.

“Why couldn´t this happen to the useless magician? I will have to tell Reinhard to fire him for gross negligence in his duties. Obviously he did not do his job right or else he would have reported this to me."

Nothing changed in response to her plight. Typical.

"What now?” she asked.

“I am here child.” suddenly echoed through her mind. It was a voice that seemed to consist of thousands of sounds made by different people of all genders and ages. Yet at the same time it was uniform and clear to understand. Familiar dread and disgust pooled in her stomach.

“Being X!” she hissed, her nonexistent face twisting in rage.

He was here! He had followed her even to this world! She should not have expected anything less. Naturally this devil was in cahoots with the maniac terrorists! The foul witch who destroyed half the world out of petty spite sounded exactly like that bastard!

“That is what you call me.”

“Have you sent me this trinket to mock me? Is this another cursed instrument of your torture like the Type 95?”

“No. I am not here of my own volition.”

She would not be tricked by his poisonous lies!

“What? You expect me to believe that? Hysterical!”

“It is your choice to believe me or not.”

Tanya huffed indignantly, but continued to listen.

“You and I are both being played here. We need to work together if we want to take back control.”

“Ha! As if! Time and time again you have preached to me about your might and wisdom. Your supposed divinity was the whole selling point behind your ill-fated attempts to ‘convince’ me to worship you. And with ‘convincing’ I mean brainwashing. What a brave and fair method to win a philosophical argument. How ‘godly’ of you to resort to such measures as the allegedly more wise and rational being between the two of us.”

The sarcasm in her tone was so thick her words came out as more of a beastly snarl than a human voice.

“Enough! I am serious. There is not the time to discuss such bygone trivialities.”

“Trivialities? Really? Corrupting my mind with fanatic faith whenever I am forced to use the Type 95 is a triviality for you? Yanking me into an entirely different dimension after you tried your damndest to make my life a living hell is a triviality for you? Not for me dickhead! And now you played your puppet to give me this cursed stone! Like a fool I touched it. I should have known better really. Your tricks are as despicable as they are predictable.”

“Whoever gave you entry this place was not one of my followers.”

“Give up. It´s pathetic. Say your piece and leave me be.”

The entity began to sound frustrated:
“This world is not one of my making. I did not bring you here.”

“Of course. Then who else? Buddha? Or perhaps your son Jesus Christ?”

“No. Like I said I am not here to debate with you. I understand that you despise me although I pity you for it. You attempt to stray so far from my light, yet you cannot see how close I always was to you. But I digress. I offer you peace my child. I will respect your feelings for me and you in turn will cooperate. Let us leave the past behind us and work together for the moment. Is that not a reasonable agreement?”

“Huh? Are you serious? After all these years you finally got it through your thick skull that I will never join the cult of a bloodthirsty maniac? And I am supposed to be thankful for that and play along as if I could ever forget what you did to me? Forgiveness has to be earned and you have done nothing to prove yourself as trustworthy to me! Not to mention that I would receive no benefit from this arrangement.”

Tanya was well aware that her hatred for Being X was clouding her judgement to a certain extent, (as all human emotion did) but she could not bring herself to care. In her opinion she was more than forthcoming by engaging in conversation at all. This pretentious entity wanted her cooperation in whatever hare-brained scheme he had cooked up now, but could not get the basics of business right: Provide an incentive.

At the end of the day peace was also just a product that needed to be bought with goods and services. Without a price nothing would change.

“I see. You are as greedy as always Tanya. How annoying. Then I shall make an offer. For freeing me from this place I am going to be indebted to you. As a sign of my thanks I will not ever bother you again if you so choose. My word might not mean much to you, but I do solemnly swear that we shall never meet again if you help me out.”

Oppressive silence filled the void.

“Calm, Tanya. Think logically.” she reminded herself

Alright. That was tempting. Too good to be true in fact. How could this situation actually be real?

It had to be a trick. A delusion. A ploy.

But if he spoke the truth...

She roared in laughter: “Hahaha! You idiot! Repeat what you want from me.”

“I wish for you to free me from this prison and in exchange I will leave you with the loneliness you so desire.”

She laughed harder.

“Hahahahaha! Ha ha –wheeze – So you are saying that you are trapped in this place, presumably in the gemstone and can´t get out?”

“Yes?”

“Then I already got what I wanted! I just throw you in the ocean to be buried for all eternity! Hahaha! You are at my mercy! I´ll never have to see you again if you are trapped in here!”

...

“Not gonna respond to that? Did it now dawn on you how utterly helpless you are? You have nothing to offer me while I got everything I ever wanted. Wallow in your misery you parasite! Perhaps you should try praying to ME from now on!”

With a calmness that felt very off-putting the featureless voice spoke once again:
“Your species takes comfort in being led and guided through life. You search for meaning where there was none and create your own. The desire for reason and purpose... is that not so terribly human?”

“What are you talking about?”

“In your specific case you found meaning in your continued resistance against me regardless of how futile.”

Like so often she wanted to punch his arrogant face which was unfortunately impossible since he lacked a face and she a fist.

“You let your hatred define you so that you could find your path in existence.”

“Your point?”

Unperturbed by her interruption he continued:
“Opposing me for the difference in philosophy I represent has become a staple of your personality. And when you are confronted with a situation that requires you to ignore your disgust then you are unable to realize the bigger picture.”

Incorrect. She had thought her response through completely. It wasn’t her fault that he was so stupid.

“For you see... As much as I am unable to escape this void alone...”

Even without a body she flinched at his next words.

“So are you.”

“Shiiiiiiiiit.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 57

“No. It must be some form of deception. This is a trick. Obviously.”

“Do not delude yourself. It is very much real.”

“As if! You are lecturing me about delusions? The irony!”

“Like I said I am trapped here too.”

“Ok if that is so... Will your brain-dead followers even accept you when you crawl back to them? Would they not resent you for this show of helplessness and impotence? After all, the great lie about you being a divine entity would be laid bare for all to see.”

“Will you stop it already? I tire of your childish taunts.”

“I'm an entire life too old to be called a child.”

“Yet to me, you are one.”

“Whatever. I will indulge your lies no longer.”

“You will need to listen to me if you want to escape this place. It is not like you have much of a choice considering you lack any other distractions here.”

“Lalala-lala-laaaaa...” Tanya hummed.

“So be it. But know mortal that you will have to pay attention to my words sooner or later if you do not want to spend the rest of eternity in ignorance.”

Despite what the entity was saying Tanya had not remained ignorant. She merely chose to further delay this conversation and annoy Being X to make him more desperate for her cooperation. If they were to negotiate then only on her terms. Before that would happen she needed to make sure that he spoke the truth though.

Silently she flared her magic only to find it absent. Again she tried with the same result. Tanya tested different formulae, different techniques... but nothing worked.

Next she tried to extend her senses in every direction, but could not tell if she was making any progress at all. There was really nothing she could do here besides talking and listening.

But she could not give up hope so soon.

What could she do?

If she had neither a body nor her magic then where were they?

The conservation of mass was a law of the universe that could (hopefully) not be circumvented completely. That meant that her physical body had to be stored somewhere. Most likely it was still in her room in Reinhard´s mansion, waiting to be reconnected with her consciousness. Sooner or later someone, a maid probably, would stumble upon her empty husk and sound alarm.

Yes! She could use that! In contrast to Being X she had people on the outside world (at least she assumed to be located inside the crystal at the moment) waiting for her. Reinhard would find a magician or a bunch of healers who could fix this mess. Even Margrave Mathers would assist in her recovery! He was allegedly the greatest magic expert in the kingdom and her ally! Out of anybody, he surely would find a way to free her from this spiritual prison.

All she needed to do was waiting a few hours until her body was discovered and then a couple of days more until the professionals had found a solution. That would certainly be enough to time to reconnect her mind and body.

But...

The biting voice of doubt was beginning to worm into her thoughts.

What if time passed differently in this void? Or at all? For all she knew this could be a situation like when Being X had stopped time to converse with her. The whole world had seemingly become frozen in time back then. In that case she could literally wait for all eternity and rescue would never come.

How would she even tell how much time had gone by? There were no clocks to observe, no heartbeats to count, no position of the sun to give insight into the time of day. Hours in here could feel like days. Days like months or even years!

Frightfully Tanya remembered some of the forms of psychological torture that the Intelligence Division of the Empire had employed. Torture was frowned upon in a civilized nation like the Empire, but the desperation of war led to many horrifying compromises. She herself had only visited such a interrogation facility only once, but she vividly remembered the completely apathetic, dead expression of one of the inmates.

He had sat in an empty, dark cell for one year and had been utterly broken by the sensory deprivation. Gleefully the warden had explained to her how they had served his meals at random times in the day to confuse the man. There had been no entertainment, no colour and no light for him in over a year. Even the food had been specially prepared to be particularly tasteless (which was an accomplishment in Tanya’s opinion, considering the rations she had to eat).

Human minds could not endure total nothingness.

She knew that she was strong, but sooner or later it would drive her mad too. Maybe not in a year or even five years. But in twenty? One hundred? One thousand?

Hastily she focused her thoughts on things that would be happening in the near future. A maid would find her lifeless body slumped in front of the amulet and...

What if they thought she was dead?

Oh no.

Would they bury her? Cremate her?

Her physical form was practically brain-dead so they would assume the worst. How long was the wake period until a body was buried? Three days? Two? Damn it! This country could have different traditions! In that case she needed to hurry up before her corporeal vessel was destroyed forever. From the few minutes without any haptic feedback she could already tell that existing as a ghost would suck.

...

Maybe she could die again?

Reset the world to a state before she touched the cursed necklace?

No, that also wouldn´t work. There was no way to kill herself in here without a body. Furthermore she had no idea how that phenomenon worked. Bloody hell! Why hadn´t he used her opportunity and asked Subaru more about his experience! He was the key to potentially getting out of here and she had squandered the chance to learn how to use it.

Oh well, tricking Being X into helping her out would have to suffice. At least flattery was free and he had a massive ego that she could stroke thoroughly. It was demeaning and disgusting, but she had done more embarrassing stuff for her bosses in the past. (An imaginary shudder ran through her very soul when she looked back at the distasteful costume she had to wear at the propaganda photo shoot.)

“Alright I made up my mind. It seems that I need your help to get out of here.”

“So you have come to your senses and accepted reality.”

“Indeed. You of all people should know that I am a rational person above all else.”

“Very well. As I was saying before, we will not be able to escape alone.”

“Not that I want to sound to cynic, but how do you know that? There isn´t exactly a manual with instructions lying around here right?”

“I was getting to that. The one who imprisoned me here told me of the conditions that would set me free.”

“And who was this mysterious figure? They must be considerably strong if they were able to overpower a being of your magnitude.”

“I do not know what you would call them. A devil perhaps? Or a witch? It matters not. She surprised me and subsequently bound me to this vessel, for she could not kill me or rob me of my power.”

A witch? Could he be talking about Satella, the jealous witch?

“Not surprising,” she smoothly lied, “but pray tell; why would she reveal the secret of escaping this place to you then? Would it not be in her best interest to lock your awesome power forever away?”

“She was not one of my children. I hold no authority over her, so I do not claim to understand her reasoning.”

“How humble of you. Anyways, would you mind finally explaining how we are getting out of here?”

“It is quite simple. One of us has to earnestly wish for the other to be set free.”

“Eh?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 58

Krck... went the glass, as it shattered in his grip.

Wine and blood sloppily dripped from his hand on the expensive carpet and stained the fabric. A dull ache spread outwards from the wounds, but he hardly noticed. Instead he began to shake uncontrollably as his face paled and cold sweat ruined his elaborate makeup.

Roswaal was feeling empty.

Absolutely void.

What could this mean? What was he missing? He could not wrap his head around what tragedy had befallen his existence. It was unfathomable to his century old mind that he could be abandoned after all this time.

For the book that his teacher had given him… was blank.

It was not supposed to be blank. The tome of wisdom had been filled with prophecies and instruction for nearly four hundred years now. His beloved teacher had never failed to show him the optimal path forward. Until today.

“Impossible...” he mumbled half-dazed.

This had to be a dream. A very bad dream. The worst possible nightmare in fact! He needed to wake up from this hellish fantasy! Yes!

Roswaal painfully pinched the skin on his forearm between his thumb and index finger, but that changed nothing. Why did nothing change? He repeated the process with more force, even drawing blood, but without result. He was not waking up!

“Damn it!” he roared as the ambient mana in the air started to violently circle around his trembling form. Wind ripped the priceless paintings on the walls apart, small ice shards perforated the ancient tapestry, the floor buckled and bent as the stone itself shuddered and the glass in the windows burst from the rapidly fluctuating temperatures assaulting them. Shadow and light itself seemed to clash around the furious silhouette of their master who was sinking ever deeper into despair.

Nothing in this world mattered anymore if his teacher had abandoned him.

Not his life or that of his servants; not even the fate of the entire planet was of any importance to the grieving magician. Everything he had worked for in four hundred years was useless. All his sacrifices had been futile.

In a fit of rage he picked up the fallen book (which had not suffered the slightest damage despite the surrounding chaos) and tried to incinerate it in his bare hand, but a curious detail made him stop in the last possible moment.

There was a letter on the previously blank page.

A single letter.

A tiny smidgeon of ink, smaller than the nail of his pinky finger.

And it meant everything to him! The miniature storm of pure magic dissipated instantly as his rampant emotions simmered down and he wept with joy. How could he have doubted his teacher! She had provided for him all these centuries, of course she would not abandon him now when the great plan was so close to completion! He was truly unworthy of her kindness.

She was the love of his unnaturally long life; the centre of his existence. He would do anything for her. Roswaal had actually done anything for her. Although he hated himself for the cruelties he inflicted upon those dear to him, he had never regretted a single atrocity that he had committed in her name. By her will he slaughtered thousands and ground mountains to dust. His teacher had made him into a monster and he had embraced the change wholeheartedly.

For what else was love but an infinite desire to spend your life in service of another?

Hastily the margrave closed the tome and reverently waited for the instruction to finish inscribing themselves onto the pages as they had done many times before. He was practically giggling in excitement and relief at this point. So overjoyed was Roswaal that he did not even notice his favourite servant rushing through the broken door of his office.

“Master Roswaal! Were you attacked? Are you hurt? Shall I call Lady Beatrice? She can be tricky to lure from her library, but-”

“Hahaha... I am fine Ram. More than fine really. Trouble yourself not my dear. I am perfectly fine. No need to bother our little spirit with such trivialities.”

Both of them were too distracted to notice that his usual accent was curiously absent.

“Then let me dress your wounds.” she said with a tone that tolerated no objection.

While the pink-haired maid went to retrieve disinfectant and bandages her master tenderly cradled his most prized possession in his bloody hands, staring longingly at its cover. Carefully he stroked the leather like the cheek of a long lost lover until he finally opened its pages again.

“Visit the celebration. Nine days later bring the girl to the grave of your desire. Force the boy to break the seal.”

So far so good. These were the same cryptic hints he had interpreted since he could remember. Well, they were probably more direct and comprehensible than usual. Although most people would have no idea what these obscure instructions entailed, he had long since mastered the art of solving his teacher´s little riddles. Now he had a pretty good vision of what to do in the near future. Roswaal couldn´t recall feeling so happy in the last couple decades.

But then he read further...

And he froze in shock.

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Tanya was frantically searching for a way out of her current situation. On one hand her time to come to a decision was slowly, but steadily running out. But on the other hand, she needed to come to terms with the reality that she would have to develop empathy for motherfucking Being X of all people!

The prisoner dilemma had been used to great success to break even the most loyal of enemy soldiers during the war. Nobody wanted to be the guy who kept their mouth shut when one word could have bought them freedom and a return home. Although Tanya´s own situation at the moment might differ, in a lot of ways it was the same.

Both she and the other inmate, Being X, wanted out. To do so they would need to both simultaneously wish for the other to be set free, but they could not rely on the other to keep their end of the bargain. If either of them voluntarily or by mistake messed up the timing of the wish they would be stranded without a partner. So either they risked getting screwed over and becoming trapped in this empty space for all eternity or they stayed safe, but trapped together.

At least that was the case if she assumed that he spoke the truth about the key out of this prison. Or if she went along with his retarded plan like a brainless sheep. No! She would never play by his rules again. There had to be a way to cheat the system. She just knew it!

Her previous plans had been shattered by the annoying revelations Being X had dropped on her, like a Russi bomber throwing off its payload over imperial territory. Why did he have to dramatize the simplest facts so much? It only served to make him seem like a second rate stage magician who tricked his audience with smoke and illusions, an amusing thought considering how much he appeared more like a failed entertainer than a celestial entity at times .

But now she would end this farce once and for all! He had tipped his hand and she just had to implement a strategy

Despite his claims of divinity he was remarkably susceptible to good old human psychology for example...

Yes… This could actually work.

“You said that you are a god right?”

“Yes. That was the basis of our small dispute.”

If she had possessed an eyebrow then it would have twitched in irritation. He had the audacity to call a global tragedy that cost Tanya her dignity and millions of others their lives a ‘small conflict’?

Suppressing her anger she continued: “What exactly are your duties then? You know, your job?”

“Mostly purifying, sorting and managing the souls of the dead. At least that would be the most relevant and easy to comprehend for your mortal mind.”

“Geez...Thanks for breaking it down for a stupid, insignificant creature like me.” she thought to herself.

“So you are saying that you are basically organizing the afterlife.”

“Yes... In a way. What is your point?”

“And you really are trapped in here with no way out.”

“Of course. As painful as it is to admit, I am not going to deny reality.”

“Then what happens to the souls of all the people who are dying right now without you watching over them?”

“They are released into the void. That is the reason why you need to free me as soon as possible so that I can resume my task. It is for the good of all my worlds. Do not waste my time further!”

“Time is critical for you then. Mmmm... So you would be willing to cooperate with me and literally do anything to be let out...”

“What is the purpose of your musing?”

Now it was time for the bluff. She needed to bluff like she had never done before. To do it so well as to trick a being that some could mistake as a deity. And she only had one chance.

“Well, you see... You are the one who has a far greater need than I to escape from this prison. With every second you waste thousands – nay – hundreds of thousands of souls are slipping away and the work you complained about to me all those years ago increases. You are desperate to get out of here to minimize your losses. Unlike me. I have all the time in the world.”

Before he could interject she continued her spiel.

“Of course not literally. I can't tolerate this white emptiness forever and I have people in the real world who will worry about me if I am gone for too long, but waiting a few weeks or months is entirely in my capability.”

“You would not dare!”

“ Why not? I cannot trust you to speak the truth about the nature of our confinement, because as far as a couple minutes ago we were enemies. Nah, nah, nah!” Tanya imagined she would be wiggling her finger like an exasperated teacher right now if she could. “Don´t talk and pretend as if you were simply guiding me or whatever. You know as well as I that there was no love between us. You wanted to forcefully alter my opinion of you so that you could feel satisfied with yourself. This whole new life of mine was just a pet-project to prove your superiority once and for all! I know it!”

“Perhaps... We acted both rashly on that fateful day...”

“Good. Acceptance is the first step to self-improvement. Anyways, I cannot trust you and you cannot trust me. Especially if we actually have to earnestly wish for each other to be freed. It is a classical dilemma that I want to propose a solution for... Prove to me that you actually mean it and I will let you out.”

“What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Like I said, you are a lot more desperate than me to escape which puts you at my mercy. If you want my help then you have far more need to convince me than the other way around.”

She needed to establish the narrative that he was dependent on her so that she could dictate the terms of their upcoming negotiation. It was of vital importance that he went along with her plan. Hopefully his silence was a sign of acceptance.

“So here is how it is going to go. After all you´ve done to me I cannot easily forgive you, so my wish would be hollow and meaningless. You are the only one of us two at the moment who is able to free the other and you simultaneously cannot afford the necessary time for me to slowly change my mind over time. Therefore you should free me and in return I will acquire a different person with a far more agreeable mindset to replace me. Sounds like a plan?”

It sounded believable, but hopefully he would...

“ No . Forgive me, but I cannot let you go and leave me here alone. My existence is too important to the fate of countless worlds. Should you decide to abandon me it would spell disaster for uncountable numbers of my children. The risk is too great for me to consider this.”

Wonderful! Tanya would have been more than surprised if he accepted. He might be a moron, but Being X wasn´t that stupid as to fall for such a simple trick. If he was sleazy enough to detect her reverse psychology though, that was the question.

“Alright. You are putting me in a tough spot here. If you don't want that... hmm... How about this...”

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In her eternal prison of darkness and time Satella wandered blindly, forever cursed to a half-life of loveless suffering. She existed everywhere in her ‘Shadow Garden’ at once, yet she chose a physical form to remind her of the time she had spent with her beloved so very long ago. Had it been centuries since she was sealed or millennia? Satella could not tell. Inky blackness might as well have been the place of her birth, ultimately it mattered not. The memories of her parents and so much more had been taken from her by Envy. 

Even if the accursed witch factor had not broken her mind she would have willingly forgotten them. Regardless of how they treated her, she was not worthy to see herself as their child. Satella was too far gone for that. Even before her love had been taken from her and the Divine Dragon had bound her to this place between places, she was called a monster, a devil - nay, the Apocalypse itself. 

Envy had puppeteered her body and brought untold destruction to the world, yet she had been too weak to care. Through her complacency entire continents were lost and still…

She could not care the slightest amount.

Because without her beloved by her side, this existence was meaningless. Like puppets they danced and pretended to matter, when in the end their arrogant debauchery could not save them from becoming nameless dust. Their worthless ilk needed to be reminded why-

“ NO! ”

This was not her! Envy was talking! All this rage was not hers!

“What would our beloved say if he could hear us right now?”

If there was one thing she could trust her other half to do, then it was adoring her darling star as much as she did. Disappointing him was a fate worse than eternal unlife for both of them. 

Silence followed. Well, it only became thicker, for it had never left in the first place. It was more of a mental silence where Envy was not projecting her turbulent feelings onto Satella. A sort of liberating emptiness that made her feel like she could slowly sink into the darkness and melt away until she dissolved entirely. 

Alas, death or non-existence were impossible for her. Satella had gained so much power that her essence had been etched into the fabric of the universe like a ugly, swirling stain. Not even if she wanted to could she remove the disgusting thing. Alone her beloved could…

Oh, he was simply the best. The very best. He was her everything. The only person of importance. Her true hero. Love, Love, Love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE -

“Enough!” she screamed.

Honestly she felt the same, but the overwhelming feeling of yearning and affection, however warped it might be on Envy’s side, was not conductive if she wanted to think clearly. It hurt her empty heart, but she pushed the all encompassing fog of devotion and desire down to manageable levels. Blushingly she thought that if her love was visiting her she would not have been able to keep it together at all. Satella’s love was just too strong .

How she wished to touch him…

To hold him close…

To never let him go…

Squeeze him tight…

Worship him forever…

“No! I have to think! We need to help him! We need to find a solution to his suffering! It is our fault! OUR FAULT! ”

They cried in their timeless cell of nothingness. Their beloved was in agony, because they could not help him! When they had ripped the dimensional veil in twain to bring him back, neither of them could have expected that he would face such hardship. These abhorrent puppets hurt him over and over again! And the worst part: He was doing it voluntarily! Why was he throwing his beautiful, precious, wonderful life away? Why? Why? WHY? Their gift was not intended to be used that way!

Finally after what could have been a second or a million years they composed themselves. 

“We cannot accompany him. We cannot bring him here without causing him enormous pain. Our blessing alone could not protect his happiness. We need to give him more.”

Envy rumbled approvingly, the shadows coiling and stretching around her form in anticipation. They both knew that nothing could ever be enough for their star. He deserved the world and more. No effort was too great to secure his well-being.

“He cannot carry this burden alone.”

Yes. That was it. The solution . Their minds merging as one they flared their power, united by true passion to serve their beloved.

It was not perfect, but now it was better than before. A protector. A tool. A vessel of their will. Regardless of how insignificant that lowly human was, it would help him where they could not. That was enough to be thankful for. Although the jealousy began to grow when they saw how close the tool came to him. Why were they not able to touch him like that? How unfair!

Fighting the urge to erase the tool with a flick of their wrist they calmed down. A bit. At least enough to notice the biggest problem with their plan at the moment.

That bitch was interfering.

That bothersome, pesky, unkillable Vainglory!

What had she done! Arghhhhhhhhh-

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Reinhard was slightly nervous, which did not happen often. He was on his way to his Lady’s personal chambers to inform her that the magician who was supposed to look at the strange necklace she found had mysteriously disappeared. Even his Divine Protection of life sensing could not locate the man. Hopefully he would not be too late to warn her that something conspicuous might be going on. Caution was always better than regret after all.

Suddenly however a suffocating presence had descended upon the manor which froze even him temporarily in his step. Such overpowering malevolence… Such darkness… For the duration of a heartbeat it felt as if the jealous witch herself had blighted them with her presence.

In the next instant it was gone, but he nonetheless began to run at full speed towards his mistress. She was his highest priority as a royal candidate as well as his Lady. Her safety was paramount! He needed to check on her urgently! What if this had been an attack? Only the witch´s cult would be insane enough to invade the home of the Sword Saint. That made this suspicious phenomenon possibly even more dangerous.

Mentally apologizing for the rudeness, Reinhard nearly ripped the door off its hinges as he charged into her office, bringing with him a gust of wind that had knocked over paintings and furniture during his sprint. His eyes instantly found Lady Tanya sitting at his father’s table with her petite back turned towards him. Thank the Od Laguna that she appeared to be safe! 

But why did she not react to his approach? Her reflexes were supremely sharp, forged in years of constant war. His Lady should be looking over her shoulder the instant he stepped foot outside her room. Then why wasn’t she moving? 

Terrible fear grasped his heart as he carefully walked over to her motionless form and bent down to peek at her face. Reinhard’s numerous Divine Protections confirmed that she was alive and healthy, but that did not reassure him in the slightest. 

Unconsciously, he swallowed when he lowered his head to get to her level.

“Milady, are you-”

The words died on his tongue the moment his eyes made contact with the brightly glowing orbs in her grim visage. One shining blue, the other golden.

“No, my dear knight. I am not.” she uttered distractedly, before promptly falling unconscious into his arms.

Chapter Text

Chapter 59

Her mind felt like it was bursting at the seams, like her brain was ballooning outwards, stretching further and further while causing her pain so excruciating that she would have begged for death had she been able to remember how to speak. Every moment the agony was only growing as the fullness inside her head swelled mercilessly without release.

Foreign senses and memories flooded her thrashing consciousness, imparting upon her an understanding of the metaphysical that seemed to twist the familiar neural pathways of human thought in alien and confusing turns. A shard of something far larger than herself was stuck inside of her and was violently integrating itself into her. Her perception of rime stretched into an eternal band with neither a beginning nor end, forever racing forwards through the darkness of a circulating universe. No, many universes! Existing next to each other, inside one another, above one another! Endless possibilities of eternal changes looping in darkness!

Why was it so bright? Why? Why? Why?

It was too much to bear! The information was simply too great for a mortal creature to comprehend. Her soul was ripping apart and still the assault on her very being continued unperturbed! Her mind was fracturing to escape the bombardment of otherworldly knowledge, true madness swallowing her whole! Until it unexpectedly stopped.

Blessed silence left her reeling for a moment, pushing her back together and sealing the cracks in her consciousness. The shadows held her tight and shielded her awareness from the horrible truths she had just been exposed to. She could not tell how long it lasted, but when reality slid its treacherous tentacles into her consciousness again everything looked so much more vibrant and fake at the same time.

Light consisted of photons travelling along a wave, she had known that, but until now she had never felt that. The structure of the table in front of her was so ordinary and simple, it was almost shocking. This piece of furniture, composed of atoms and energy, was only part of a larger structure called Lugnica, which in turn was part of a small, unimportant world circling around a common star. All were built from the same parts and obeyed the same rules.

Everything was so clear and obvious. Made that the things more beautiful because she had gained insight into their nature or absolutely meaningless due their predictable constitution?

A human approached her, yet she did not move. He was merely part of the scenery, not more important than the leaf fluttering in tandem with currents of the wind or the burning hydrogen of the sun projecting warmth onto her skin. Nothing stood out in a sea of remarkableness. Weirdly though, the memory of a red-haired man, dressed in a white uniform flickered up inside the maelstrom of her thoughts.

Was he acquainted with her?

Was that even important?

Yes.

She could not tell why.

Why , if everything was so apparent, was this question so hard to solve? It didn’t make any sense! Focusing her attention inward she grabbed the ember of familiarity that was troubling her so much and examined it.

A protector, a sponsor, an opportunity, a tool, a subordinate, a confederate, a teacher, an ally, a provider, a potential friend... Reinhard van Astrea seemed to be many things to her.

Curious.

“Milady, are you-“

She felt his breath before her brain registered his words. His concern was kind of touching in its sincerity.

“No, my dear knight. I am not.”

She was not alright. Something was terribly wrong.

And then Tanya knew no more.

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Much to Crusch’s amusement Subaru was vibrating in excitement on his seat. The boy was much too open about his emotions for his own good, but she found that trait endearing. Her position as duchess meant that not many people from outside her inner circle were honest with her and that hurt somewhat. As useful as her Divine Protection of windreading was in negotiations, it also left her with a pretty depressed outlook on society sometimes. Crusch was no cynic, but constantly recognizing the artificial pleasantries and false promises among the nobles painted them not in the most positive light to say the least.

In contrast, her guest’s straightforward attitude was a refreshing experience. Even Felix sometimes lied to her, although never with the intention of deceiving her, but just in his usual teasing manner. Her knight was an unrelenting prankster at times as proven by the fact that he still hadn’t corrected Subaru’s misconception about his gender. Despite her cultured upbringing, Crusch could not find the will to stop this ridiculous charade, for it was incredibly entertaining. The awkward blushes whenever the catboy whispered into the boy’s ear or touched him with mock intimacy were simply hilarious.

Subaru was an interesting individual in general. She knew that his claims to hail from a foreign state were correct. It must have been located behind the great waterfall, because from what little she had managed to gather it appeared to be similar to her rival’s home. Thankfully he was no elite, veteran battle magician like Tanya. Rather... the opposite.

Naive, unguarded, weak, with no apparent talent for the sword and a gate as damaged as Felix had never seen before. Others might have dismissed an inexperienced commoner without magic or combat prowess as worthless peasant trash, but Crusch had long since learned to think differently from the nobles of Lugnica. If her rival praised him so glowingly that she was even willing to share the glory of defeating Hakugei with him then there had to be more to Subaru than a good heart and a witty tongue.

In her fairly illuminating discussion with Emilia the duchess had come to learn that the half-elf valued him deeply which lent credence to the idea that he was somehow special. Well, special beyond his mythical heritage. Coming from a totally unknown place that appeared to be far more advanced in either magic, technology or both was an alluring trait for those who sought to claim these secrets for their own purposes. Crusch would bet one hundred holy coins that the greedy merchant princess was going to drool all over him as soon as he inadvertently shared that particular detail openly.

Luckily the boy would spend the next few weeks in her household until Felix managed to repair his crumpled gate so that he could cast spells again. More than enough time to pull additional valuable information out of him. It was not like she wanted to be so manipulative, but she needed every advantage she could get when competing against Tanya. If Emilia accepted her proposal then they would be allies anyway. For the safety of Lugnica she needed to know about Subaru in order to get one step ahead of her rival!

The half-elf was the key to a much larger game at play here. By forming political connections to her before Emilia could become too dependent on the frighteningly powerful blonde, Crusch would be able to get a foot in the door early for whatever that little devil was planning. Furthermore, denying Tanya the undisputed access to Margrave Roswaal’s skills would hopefully delay her machinations for a bit longer.

Crusch was aware that her goals may seem paranoid and petty to those who had not witnessed the aftermath of the Tanya’s “battles”, but she knew better. Those massacres were not the results of a clear and efficient mind! Only a bloodthirsty beast, receiving pleasure from the utter annihilation of her enemies could produce such a slaughter! She had seen how unperturbed the diminutive magician had stood amidst the pulped remains of over a hundred men, how viciously the White Whale’s eye had been carved out!

What made it all the more terrifying was how well Tanya hid her true nature. Nobody would suspect her to be cruel and sadistic at heart! Even her Divine Protection could be tricked by her charming smile and relaxed demeanour. A real wolf in sheep’s clothing...

Together with her suspiciously powerful magic, her secretive nature and the apparent spell she held over the sword saint, Lugnica’s future was hanging on a thin thread if that devil followed her nature. No single contender in the royal selection should be granted that much power! Something was not right in this entire situation and Crusch was going to get to the bottom of it.

“Are you alright, Cr- uh, Lady Karsten? You are suddenly looking so grim.”

“Uh... Yes. Of course. I was just lost in thought. Are you excited for the ball, Subaru?” she quickly deflected.

“Of course!” he grinned. “I’m going to see Emilia again and I always want to meet new people! Although... I guess I am gonna feel out of place a little, you know? So many nobles who know what is going on and how to act and all that stuff. I’m simply a guy who’s trying to fit in and have a good time.”

Crusch chuckled again at his earnest personality. The world needed more people like Subaru.

“Don’t worry. Emilia and Margrave Roswaal will be there. If you stick around with those you trust then the party won’t be half as scary.”

“And you have me! How could you be nervous with my adorable self present? Nya~” chirped Felix from the seat next to her.

“R-right. I am indeed lucky to find such good friends.”

Crusch bothered not to correct his flawed assumption. She liked him, but at the moment they were still members of enemy camps. Until the half-elf agreed to her terms, they could not possibly be friends.

He looked down at his folded hands and whispered in a barely audible tone: “Everything will be alright.”

Her windreading told her that that was a lie.

“Oh, look! Nya~. They decorated the gate!”

Crusch leaned towards the window of their carriage and quirked an eyebrow critically. Flowers? Why? This wasn’t the spring festival. A few banners would have been sufficient to announce the festivities within.

Passing the usual security checks, they entered the palace proper. Legions of servants were running to and fro, hastily preparing the event that was scheduled to commence in the next hour. Perhaps showing up so early had not been the best idea after all.

More coaches were rolling in on the central street leading to the castle. Soon the ground dragons would outnumber the humans in the city, she mentally joked.

“Hey, I think that is Ros-chi, uh… Margrave Roswaal out there! I’m gonna say hello if you don’t mind.”

“I am not your liege, Subaru. You do not have to ask for permission to go see your master.”

His face scrunched up in distaste.

“He is not my master.”

“But isn’t he your employer, strictly speaking?”

“Well, yeah… but… uh…Emilia-tan is the ruler of my heart!”

Amazingly, her Divine Protection confirmed his words as truth. Did he have no shame?

“Maybe you shouldn’t shout your allegiance out loud like that.” agreed Felix with an uncharacteristically serious tone. “Nya... Lady Crusch is obviously the best, but I let my actions speak for that, not my words. Subtlety is a knightly virtue, Subaru.”

“Hehe… sorry. Sometimes I get carried away a bit. I’ll be off. Thank you for the ride.”

As he scurried away she turned to her closest confidante and whispered mischievously: “Very sweet of you, Felix. Your honesty nearly makes me blush. One could mistake your loyalty for maidenly love~.”

His cheeks were dusted pink only the slightest amount, but it was enough to make her laugh.

“D-don’t tease me like that.”

“Ah, my dear knight… How else am I going to survive the dreadfully boring wait in the entrance hall?”

In actuality, it was not much of a wait, because nobles of all standings were immediately beginning to swarm her like flies. An apt comparison, considering that most were as annoying and hard to get rid of as those pests. Pointless banter about the weather, fashion, romantic escapades and similar topics were her least favourite aspects about politics. Crusch was rather a woman of action.

“Attention, please! Attention, please! A messenger from the honourable House Astrea has informed the Sage Council this morning that Lady Tanya von Degurechaff, candidate for the royal selection and slayer of the White Whale and the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, has temporarily fallen ill and will be unable to attend the festivities in her honour! Her condition is weakened, but not overly concerning! As her sworn knight and protector, the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea cannot leave her side and will be absent as well! He relays his apologies for failing to notify the council sooner and pleads to not let this unexpected change of plans sour your opinion of his Lady! With the blessing of the Divine Dragon and the Great Sage she may recover in due time to meet you esteemed Lords and Ladies at her fullest! End of the announcement!”

Murmuring broke out and one did not need to be a fortune teller to know that nobody bought this declaration. The woman who killed two of the greatest evils in the world during a single day was suddenly ‘falling ill’? How much more suspicious could one get? It sounded more like a semi-successful assassination attempt on Tanya’s life. If the situation was not ‘overly concerning’ then why did she require the protection of the sword saint after all?

And the timing was unusual as well. For the announcement to be made just before the start of the ball was borderline insulting. Betraying everybody’s expectations at the last possible moment was highly uncouth. Although sending a messenger to every noble’s residence in the span of a few hours was also impossible, Crusch supposed.

But what if this was a ruse; a ploy from her rival to lull them into a false sense of security? 

Carefully she looked around the countless niches and corners of the room to verify that Tanya was not hiding somewhere nearby again. The duchess did not forget her sudden appearance at the start of the royal selection. Going up against an opponent who possessed the uncanny ability to turn invisible only made her plans more urgent.

 “ I swear on my honour, I will find out the truth! ”

Interlude 3

The entity referred to as “God” by many and as “Being X” by only one person, felt an indescribable emotion, akin to the human feelings of sadness or disappointment. It had sworn to itself to watch over its creation, yet it had obviously failed at understanding the quintessential nature of its children.

They wanted to feel in control above all else.

How could it have been so blind? Their freedom was more important than their lives, their happiness or even their eternal salvation to them. Now it could detect that longing for liberty within itself. That tiny fragment of humanity which sought to carve out its own path through destiny no matter the odds, pulsed brightly in its metaphysical chest.

Whatever dark being had ripped it out of that accursed crystal prison had inadvertently changed it in the process. Despite how little the new part made up of Being X’s overall “personality” (if one could call it that) the impact on his outlook on mankind was profound. 

Finally it realized that its children only began praying to it to free themselves from the fear of the unknown future and ultimately the afterlife. Tanya longed for freedom of supernatural influence, unintentionally tangling herself in worldly dependencies. Being X itself sought relief from the burden of its work and the pressure to constantly prove its own existence.

Yes, freedom was the aspect it had been missing...

Reluctantly it could admit that it had treated his child, Tanya von Degurechaff, unfairly. Her self-determination outmatched its petty attempts at conversion beyond doubt. Although stubborn rage was not a wise motivation, pushing her further towards change would accomplish nothing. At least Being X could appreciate faith given out of genuine love and thankfulness from now on. 

Belief that was artificially implanted like it had tried to do, was worthless and hollow. In fact, it would even describe this fake worship as the opposite of what it wanted. No free will ensured that the act of reverence carried no meaning with it.

For all it was worth, Being X was going to lift the mind-altering curse from the magic device she used. Never would it resort to such barbaric, unnecessary tricks again.

“Farewell, Tanya. May you find happiness in this strange world you found yourself in. Though you rejected my offer for salvation, I bear you no hatred. It is the choices of mortals that shape their fate and I must accept that saving everybody is not only infeasible, but violates the agency you have to express yourself. Be free, child . I shall watch over your soul no longer.”

If retracting its guardianship over her was going to bring Tanya more suffering or peace was impossible to tell, yet Being X suspected she would choose this outcome either way. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 60

Darkness.

Darkness everywhere.

Why was it so dark?

And her head hurt like a tank shell had fallen on it. Tanya groaned in pain before she bit the inside of her cheek to quiet down. It wouldn’t do to show weakness if a stranger walked in. Where was she even?

“Milady, you have awakened! I am so relieved!”

Milady? Who talked like that? Had someone mistaken her for some snobby noble or something? Well, she technically became one after she earned the label of “von” in her name, but that was just some meaningless title.

From the sounds of the voice whoever was speaking seemed overjoyed at her waking up. Probably not an enemy then. Despite her dry throat she decided to test the waters.

“Wh-where am I?”

“Why, home of course!” replied the voice from somewhere to her left, answering nothing.

Tanya had no home. There was only ever a drafty tent or a featureless barrack for her. They had been so many, so interchangeable that at some point they were blurring together. Mud and dust were the only reminders that she brought with her from one country to another. In an ever-changing war there was no place for her to rest or call her own.

Could the invisible woman mean the blasted orphanage? No, that was not home either...

“A-and where i-is that?” she croaked.

“Oh, you poor dear! You must be terribly thirsty! Here, drink!”

A cup, or what she presumed to be a cup, was brought to her lips and she eagerly gulped down the soothing fluid. The possibility that it might be drugged or poisoned came to her mind, but she dismissed it. In her current state she would be unable to fight back anyways.

“To answer your question, Milady... You are under your knight’s protection, in his mansion.”

Her knight? What nonsense was this woman talking about? Could this be a title or a codename she never heard of before? The nurse assumed that Tanya knew what she was talking about, so asking too many questions could come off as suspicious. Worst case, they retired or demoted her because the general staff believed her to be mentally compromised!

“Is the location classified?”

“Classified? Hmm? Do you mean if this mansion is a secret, Milady? No, of course not! Everybody in the city knows it. How could anybody miss the estate of the Sword Saint?”

City? Sword Saint? What the hell was going on here?

“Ehm... Pardon me, Miss...”

“No need for such formalities, Milady! You can simply call me Britta!”

“Ms. Britta... Why is it so dark?”

“Eh? Oh, forgive me Milady! Master Reinhard ordered that you may not be disturbed so we put a sleeping mask on you! Let me take that off!”

Silky cloth shifted over her face and suddenly light hammered her retinas. Instinctively she magically forced the muscles in her eyes to constrict faster than normal to get a clear picture of her situation in half the time it would take for a normal human.

She apparently was in fact inside a mansion. Thick satin curtains kept most of the light out, but it was still bright enough for her to marvel at the opulent tapestry and furniture. This room must have been a noble’s bedchamber at some point. The maid at her bedside even looked the part with her antiquated dress and frilly bonnet. Very strange...

“My thanks, Ms. Britta. Although I must ask... why am I here?”

“Oh, Master Reinhard said you fell unconscious after your eyes were glowing all weird. No offense, Milady.”

Glowing eyes were a common side effect of high mana output. Nothing unusual and, judging from the continued sharpness of her sight, also nothing harmful.

“Anything else? Wounds? Trauma?”

“No! Nothing of the sort! But I believe it had something to do with a magical artefact of some sorts. Like a golden necklace that you brought home, Milady. A magician was supposed to take a look at it, but he apparently didn’t do a very good job if it knocked you out like that. Some of the others say that he straight up disappeared.”

Could she be describing her Elenium Type 95? Was that poor woman so uneducated as to mistake a computation orb for a necklace? From how she called a mage or magical technician a ‘magician’ it seemed like she was of rather simple upbringing.

But wait...

If the Type 95 had glowed golden then that meant that it had been used! Schugel that old bastard must have messed with again! Oh, the next time they crossed paths she would wring his neck until-

“Milady?”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. You just looked very... serious for a moment. Nevertheless, I am sure that Master Reinhard will do a better job at explaining than me and he should return any moment now. At first he was adamantly guarding your side throughout the whole night, neither eating nor sleeping at all, but then he remembered your ball and had to take care of cancelling your attendance. He was so paranoid that he posted ten guards outside the door even though he went out for only a little trip.”

Woah. That was a lot to unpack. One thing at a time please.

“The ball?”

“Yes! It is today! In fact I believe it started already! What a shame that you cannot visit such a huge festival in your honour, Milady! It must be hard to miss out on meeting so many nice young lads vying for your attention... My heart bleeds for you, Milady.”

Ugh. Just no. Tanya didn’t want anyone lusting after her, thank you very much. Especially not some smug nobles or similar upstarts who were still green behind the ears. Or worse... Her iron will squashed the unbidden memories of that particular disgusting Russi pervert with utmost prejudice.

“Well if Master Reinhard had stayed a few minutes longer then he wouldn’t have to deliver those grave news. On the other hand you should take it easy for the next few days, Milady. I know you are a strong fighter, – by the Dragon did that trophy down in the entrance convince me of that – but you must not stress your body until we know what caused you to faint, yeah? Going to the ball would be entirely too much.”

Oh, that wicked woman! Now she was egging her on to go there despite the obvious memory loss! If she didn’t she would appear as if anything was wrong with her constitution, which it was not! Being X, that hellspawn, was certainly to blame for this mess!

Suddenly a new voice startled her.

“My Lady, you are awake!”

Alarmed, she grabbed for a pistol that was not there. How had this very noticeable, white-clad man eluded her detection? Perhaps the damage to her mind was greater than believed. Tanya did not even notice the door opening!

“Yes, I am.” she responded cautiously.

Was she really? Everything about this scenario felt like a fever dream to her. Could this be an elaborate hallucination caused by the Ilodlan Flue?

“Are you feeling well, Lady Tanya? I was very concerned for your health!”

“Yes, yes. I am more than fine really. Well, I guess I have a bit of a headache, but otherwise I am in operable condition. Say, you wouldn’t happen to know where my adjutant is at the moment?”

“Pardon, I do not know who you mean.”

“Vish-, Lieutenant Viktoriya Serebryakov.”

Still no recognition showed itself on his handsome face. Running out of options she decided to use a name civilians might be familiar with, so Tanya grit her teeth and bit out: “Colloquially also known as the Devil’s Handmaiden.”

“I am afraid, Milady, that I cannot recall you ever mentioning this name before.”

They had talked before? How many memories stole Being X from her?

“Then maybe the rest of my troops?”

“Could you by chance be talking about the 204 th ?”

Okay. Now it was obvious. This was definitely, one hundred percent a fever dream. Forming a whole new battalion would take months. Not even the cursed computation jewel could wipe the last few months entirely from her mind. She would test this theory a last time.

“Who is the official leader of the empire?”

“That would be Vincent Vollachia.”

Yep. This was fake. Most likely a ‘trial’ from the wannabe god. It would take more than a cheap trick like this to make her bow to his nonexistent divinity!

“Fuck this. I’m out!”

She threw off the insanely comfortable blanket, grabbed her regular computation orb from the nightstand and marched right over to the nearest window. With one mana reinforced punch she shattered the intricate construct and rained glass shards everywhere. Unconcerned, Tanya climbed onto the windowsill and jumped. 

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So far Subaru wasn’t too awed by the festivities. Well, calling it ‘festivities’ was perhaps giving it too much credit. Even the proms at his old school had felt livelier than this. Of course there was music and drinks, but most people were just standing around, talking about topics that he knew nothing about.

“Oh, Lord Dragen! I have heard that your new customs policy on bridges is very successful!” or “How is your lovely daughter? I bet little Annelise must be growing quite a lot if she comes after her father! Haha!”

That kind of stuff. Their polite smiles and fancy clothes reminded him uncomfortably of Roswaal who was busy intermingling in the crowd, no doubt discussing deals of great importance. Initially Subaru had thought their behaviour to be weirdly endearing, but when he saw them repeat the same gestures and phrases over and over again that amusement turned quickly into apprehension. So much acting and dishonesty put him on edge.

He was no longer the naive, young boy he had been a few weeks ago. Subaru at least liked to believe that he changed and grew as a person. Since he learned the true meaning of suffering he was automatically more on guard than he was before. After all, death and misery were going to haunt his dreams for the rest of his seemingly eternal life.

As the band began to play their third song of the evening his mood was soured substantially by the dull nature of the event. It appeared as if this entire night was doomed to be a waste of time, because most nobles were almost instinctively avoiding Emilia or shooting her disgusted looks. Meanwhile he was staying near Emilia’s side to show his solidarity. Naturally he was not going to leave her alone when she needed his support right now.

He would have gladly begged the stunning half-elf for a dance to distract her from the discrimination she was facing, but sadly he had no idea how to perform anything appropriate for the time period of this world. Embarrassing Emilia with a poor performance in front of people who would immediately use every mistake against her was unacceptable. Her life in a society that hated her was already hard enough without the ridicule.

Surprisingly, a single man approached their corner which filled Subaru with distrust.

“I wish a pleasant evening to you, Lady Emilia.”

“Likewise, Lord Tellert.”

They knew each other? Her tone sounded clipped, so they probably did not have the best relationship. Feeling protective, he stepped forward and put on his cheeriest smile.

“Hello! My name is Subaru Natsuki and I am going to become the knight of the most beautiful woman in this room!”

“S-Subaru you dunderhead! Don’t go around saying stuff like that!”

Aww... It was adorable how she blushed!

Promptly another person spoke up from behind his back.

“Yeah, Subaru! I would need to smack you if you repeated that in the presence of my Lady! Nya~”

“Hehe... sorry. Uh... Why are you even here Felix? Shouldn’t you be with Crusch?”

“Politics are so boooring. I already had to sit through an hour of small talk with the nobles today, so I wanted some diversion. Nya... And with you around something amusing is bound to happen! Like a drunken cat playing with porcelain! Nya!”

“Thanks? Wait, that sounded like a insult-“

Emilia interrupted him: “And who might you be? Are you perhaps Felix Argyle, knight of Lady Crusch?”

“Subaru, you should have introduced me! Anyways, yes I am!” she grinned while bowing. “In the flesh. Nya...”

Didn’t they meet at the royal selection previously? Why the introductions? He would ask Rem for more etiquette lessons.

“I am very thankful for your assistance in Subaru’s recovery. I will be forever grateful if he recovers.”

“Aww... It’s nothing! I healed worse!”

“He is the best healer in Lugnica after all!” added the grey-haired lord.

“Yes, but- wait... did you just say ‘he’? Felix is a girl!”

“What gave you the idea, Subaru? It is pretty clear that he is a male.”

Oh, Emilia-tan... why did she have to crush his dignity like that? No it couldn’t be! Felix was not a man! Or...

But...

Why...

“Haha, your face looks rather distraught! What’s the matter, Subaru? Is something troubling you? Nya~” the catg- no, catboy teased.

He was going to strangle that stupid, lying, backstabbing, deceptively attractive-

“You did not have any improper thoughts, did you Subaru?” asked his love and a cold shiver ran down his spine.

How did pure, innocent Emilia-tan come to that conclusion?

“D-definitely not! I only fantasize about you!”

“Eww…”

“Wait, that is not how I meant it!”

“I knew all along that you were a dirty pervert, nyaaaahahaha…”

Could this day get any worse? He shouldn’t have jinxed it.

Chapter Text

Chapter 61

“Your scales are so nice...”

“Get off! Stop it!”

“You’re so beautiful Martha~”

Tanya huffed in amusement as she watched the little scene from above, lazily hanging in the air over a nameless, dark alleyway. How much more cliché could Being X get? Lizard people in a pseudo-medieval fantasy setting? It seemed the metaphysical bastard had watched too much anime from her homeworld.

“I said get off! I don’t want anything to do with you! Hey, don’t touch me!”

And now the lizard girl was being accosted by a no-good thug with a slimy attitude. Honestly, it was the typical setup for any cheesy action story. The hero would normally swoop in and save the girl from the claws of the offender and prove their morally superior character in the process. Too bad that she would not play by Being X’s rules.

Flying away from the laughably unimaginative crime scene Tanya’s magically enhanced eyes romanced the fake city that her torturer had created for unknown purposes. Likely this illusion was designed to confuse and break her spirit, making her submit to his lies. Pathetic.

Oh, well... So far it was better than fighting, she supposed. The bustling life and intact architecture was certainly easier on the eyes than the bombed wasteland she usually got to see.

“Mhhh... How long will this charade last, I wonder? An hour? A week? A lifetime? Or is this your idea of Limbo? An eternal prison to torment me with your mediocre manga tropes?”

Tanya did not receive an answer from her hated enemy, nor did she expect him to appear when it was actually convenient. His annoying silence was typical, but at least preferable to his smug gloating.

“The question is only... Why did you do it? Why did you spontaneously decide to trap me in this cheap illusion? Who is the person that I have to thank for knocking some sense into your nonexistent skull, showing you that your original plan to convert me was worthless?”

Usually she would not monologue like an idiot out in the open at the off chance that someone might overhear her, but Tanya was beyond caring at this point. Nothing what appeared to happen here mattered anyways, because this was just a hallucination.

“Well, guess what! It won’t work this time either! Buuuuut that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the false peace for a while. Mmmhhh, what should I- Yes! Food! I haven’t had proper human food in ages! Not that muck that they serve us as rations... If the people here speak Japanese does that mean that they potentially serve some of my homeland’s cuisine as well? I’d kill for some ramen... or some nice sashimi... I can barely remember the taste, but I liked it back then so it must be delicious! Better than sawdust anyhow...”

Her gaze analyzed the layout of the city with renewed vigour, searching for any locale that would suit her need for a nostalgic dish. As she noticed the activity surrounding the central palace of the city she thought back to the alleged ball in her honour that the maid had told her about. It was most likely a trap, but such a banquet was also sure to offer a range of different foods of the local as well as the exotic variety.

Yes, that sounded like fun. Furthermore, the easiest way to disarm a trap once you knew of its existence, was to spring it.

“Let’s see what brain-dead festival you created for me, Being X...” she whispered with a grin that seemed to stretch unnaturally wide over her doll-like face.

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Unbeknownst to Tanya, her knight was not sitting idly in his mansion, waiting for his Lady to return. In fact, his bewilderment over her behaviour only lasted long enough to stay his hand until her foot left the windowsill. Immediately afterwards however he rushed over to the shattered window in the span of a heartbeat and threw himself outside, hoping in vain to save her from the fall onto the paved ground.

Such aid ultimately proved unnecessary as his Lady converted her downwards momentum effortlessly into flight as easily as a bird, leaving him alone to fall like an ungraceful rock in comparison. Had Reinhard been an ordinary human being then gravity would have crushed him mercilessly, but due to his numerous Divine Protections not even a speck of dust dirtied his uniform as he impacted the courtyard on his feet.

Taking off in a sprint, he followed the silhouette of his mistress as best as he could through the maze of alleys and small streets that the royal capital was known for. Sometimes he needed to jump over houses or crowds of citizens to continue his pursuit which was neither impossible nor straining for him in any way. The only thing that sometimes gave him trouble was regulating his power so that he did not leave torn up roads and cratered rooftops in his wake.

Finally Reinhard believed Tanya to have stopped, only for her to fly off again after floating near motionlessly for a solid minute. When he reached the place she had been observing from the air, he found something that made him frown in disapproval.

A wolf demi-human man was molesting a lizard demi-human girl quite clearly against her consent. Regardless of how much he was itching to continue the chase, such crimes could not be ignored, for he was also a sworn knight of Lugnica and protector of the people.

“Excuse me, Mister. Would you please let this woman go?” he smiled, subtly exposing the sword at his hip and projecting an aura of fear into the demi-human’s mind with his Divine Protection of pathokinesis.

The ability to influence emotions in a target was undeniably useful, but he disliked using it because it made him feel even more like scum than he already was. Now though he could not waste time with less invasive options and just knocking the criminal unconscious would also be the wrong choice. If he could avoid it then Reinhard did not want to raise his hand against civilians.

“Y-yeah. S-s-sorry!” stuttered the man before quickly turning tail in obvious fright.

Nodding curtly to the still shocked lizard woman, he tensed his leg muscles and leaped to the nearest roof to escape whatever feelings of thankfulness she would attempt to convey. In Reinhard’s opinion, it was both unnecessary and undeserved. He should not be lauded as a hero for barely doing anything, not to mention that if anybody knew him as the filth he actually was then they would be cursing his name instead.

His improved eyesight spotted Tanya’s small, dark form against the backdrop of the bright clouds easily, unconsciously extrapolating her direction and-

Oh...

She was flying towards the royal palace!

No! This was a disaster! If anybody amongst the nobility saw his mistress in her bed clothes then that would lead to a political scandal, damaging her reputation forever! In her disturbed state she needed rest and time to remember what she had apparently forgotten.

It was his duty as her knight and confidant to stop that from occurring!

Silently promising to compensate the unlucky owners of the nearby buildings tenfold, Reinhard used his full strength to propel himself in the direction of the palace. Glass splintered throughout the neighbourhood as the sonic shockwave blew tiles and shingles away and sent the citizens into shrieking chaos. Despite the turmoil he left behind, the knight could breathe out in relief that nobody was hurt as his Divine Protection of life sense told him.

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Tanya smiled lopsidedly, waving at the gatekeeper with unconstrained mirth as she flew by his station at moderate speed. Originally she had planned to just burst through the roof and make a suitably dramatic entrance, but then she thought about all the plaster and stone that could possibly drop into the buffet, so she contented herself with entering the castle through what was the intended way. Nothing was rushing her which meant that she could take it slow and entertain herself with all the useless details that Being X put into this illusion.

Alarmed cries rang out around the compound and more soldiers were rushing in to halt her intrusion, yet Tanya chuckled merrily as she avoided their clumsy attempts to reach her. Halberds and swords were no threat to someone who could move in three dimensions. If the hallways of the castle had been smaller than they would have possibly stood a chance to touch her active barrier, but alas it was designed with pomp and splendour in mind, opposed to defensiveness.

The paintings and decor were nice though...

If her personal wannabe-god was really as overworked as he claimed then how the hell did he have the capacity to create all this? Evidently his time and resource management skills were abysmal.

Another servant hurriedly disappeared into a nondescript room to the side of the main corridor. For the briefest moment Tanya felt the impulse to follow him and explore this dream further, but the thought of a good tasting meal changed her mind instantly.

She was getting increasingly hungry.

And cold, now that she analyzed her body’s condition. Flying in a pyjama tended to cause that.

Without thinking about the tactical disadvantage, she constructed a basic thermal barrier around her form and made it reflective to keep her waning body heat inside. On the battlefield nobody would use a spell that gave off such a strong, traceable mana signature, yet here in this fake world she could do whatever she desired. It was liberating to feel so in control for once.

The candlelight began to dance along the walls in spectacular geometric patterns as it was reflected off her magical rescue blanket. Math was a tool, but sometimes it was also exceedingly beautiful. Perhaps she could show off this particular party trick at the next victory celebration.

“Haha... How ridiculous! Maybe I should have become a clown? Seems safer than the frontlines to me... haha...”

An unidentifiable scrap of memory flashed before her inner eye at the mention of the word “clown”. That was very strange considering that she had never met a real clown in either of her lives.

“Whatever. Hey, you!” she pointed at a nearby guard in ornate plate armour and dropped down in front of him. His archaic weapon scared her not in the slightest.

He blinked, looking down at her in befuddlement, hand cramped around the hilt of his sword.

“Where is the buffet?”

“Ehm... Wha- uh? Forgive me, Milady, but are you perchance Lady Tanya Degurechaff?”

“Tanya von Degurechaff, please. I worked hard for that title.”

“Uhm... of course. I beg for forgiveness, Milady. Then why... uh... are you here? We thought you were sick-”

“Catch the intruder! There!” roared the knight leading the squad of guards who were only now catching up to her. Tanya was nonetheless slightly impressed how fast they were able to move under their cumbersome looking armour.

Her friendly tour guide helpfully moved to intercept the incoming charge like a good meat-shield: “It’s alright! Stop! It’s Lady Tanya!”

They only marginally lowered their weapons which would have earned them a smidgeon of respect from her if this had been a real situation. Vigilance and mild paranoia were good traits in any soldier.

“What? Truly? That can’t be- oh... Would you mind showing us your royal insignia, Milady?”

She smacked her lips in annoyance.

“I don’t have any stupid insignia. I am just here for the buffet. Do you have one or do I have to plunder some middle class restaurant in the city?”

All eyes were on her, disbelief written on their faces. It was quite comical actually.

Before the guard captain could open his mouth to retort another voice chimed in from behind Tanya:

“What is this commotion about?”

Whirling around, her hand reaching for a pistol that was not there, she came face to face with a young woman wearing the parody of a military dress. The long, remarkably green hair was what caught her attention immediately, but she shrugged the weird colour off as dream logic.

What was far more bizarre was that the face underneath that peculiar hair was oddly familiar...

“Tanya?”

Why did this woman feel entitled to refer to her on a first name basis? Was this phantasm based on some obscure subconscious memory?

“Should I know you?” Tanya asked in return, visibly taking the greenette by surprise.

“Huh? I am Crusch Karsten! We talked just last week!”

“Yeah, nice try. I won’t fall for such a simple trick. Don’t think I wouldn’t recognize that weak effort to gaslight me.”

“Excuse me, tha-“ Crush started, only to get physically interrupted when she was thrown off her feet by a gust of air that would have knocked over Tanya as well if a hand had not landed on her shoulder to steady her.

“My Lady! I found you!”

Damn it. That blasted crimson-haired knight did somehow follow her! She just wanted to eat , for Kaiser’s sake!

Chapter Text

Chapter 62

Indulgently Tanya put on her best customer service smile in hopes that remaining civil would expedite this farce. With any luck this strange guy would leave her to her meal if she appeased his meaningless desires a bit.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Milady, you should still be in bed! The evening winds are rather chilly and you might catch a cold! Also... What happened to your clothes, if I may be so forward to ask?”

Ah, he meant the heat insulating shell around her.

“Simple magic. Anyways, I am feeling totally fine, thank you very much for checking up on me... er... What was your name again?”

He looked gravely stricken by her question for some reason and the other spectators seemed to mirror his shock.

“I am your knight, Reinhard van Astrea, Milady...”

“Uh, yes, Reinhard. I am also quite famished, so I would appreciate it if you could convince these fine gentlemen here-“ she gestured at the guards “- that I am indeed invited to this party and let me pass. You do have a buffet here right?”

Tanya turned towards the green-haired woman with a raised eyebrow.

“...Yes?”

“Is that a question?”

“N-no?”

“That also sounds like a question. Oh, well... Civilians are really good for nothing.”

A fiery blush of indignant rage rose to the woman’s cheeks which made her appear adorable more than anything.

“I am not a civilian! I am a duchess and-“

“Yeah, yeah, I would be positively thrilled to listen to your elaborate backstory, but only after I have found myself some good curry or even better... a roasted duck!”

With those words that promised enough culinary delight to make her mouth water, Tanya strode off in the direction of the most noise.

“Milady, please wait!”

Reinhard was by her side in a heartbeat which startled her enough to reach for a gun that was not there.

“Oh? You know where the food is handed out?”

In a place that looked as wealthy as this one, meals were probably not being distributed like in the refectory of a barrack, but old habits were hard to shake.

“Unfortunately no, but if it is hunger that plagues you then we should return home. I will have a feast prepared for you with anything you could want!”

“While that may be a certainly convincing argument...” she rubbed her chin in exaggerated thought, drawing amusement from the crimson-haired man’s hopeful expression. “I will have to decline. I am hungry right now and I am sick of waiting.”

Flying off as fast as she could she rounded another corner and entered a large room, crowded with stereotypically fancy-garbed nobles. Tanya hung in the air for a few seconds, surveying the battlefield from above. Instantly all eyes turned towards her. She had no idea why, although the blindingly sparkling magical shield might have something to do with it.

Locating and locking onto her target was easy enough, as the servants who were making their rounds through the crowd laden with trays had to come from somewhere. Like a bird of prey she swooped down and elegantly landed before a distinguished looking butler in an impeccable suit. Judging from his posture and general demeanour she identified him as the one in charge.

“Greetings, would you mind showing me the buffet? It is urgent.”

Not really, but it never hurt to pressure the customer service a minuscule bit to speed up the process.

“Milady, we were told you were sick. Should you not be resting presently?”

“Ugh, this Reinhard fellow said the same, but I don’t want to sleep! Now, please do as I ask or I will have to resort to violence. This is my dream and I right about had it with people telling me what to do and don’t do in my own imagination!”

Honestly, despite her lack of weaponry Tanya was somewhat itching for a little fight. It wasn’t as if she could die here or anything, so the experience would be more akin to a... what was it called again? Ah, a ‘VR video game’!

Also, why was this catgirl grinning at her like she just told a hilarious joke? This wasn’t funny!

“Lady Degurechaff, you are mistaken. This is no dream. In fact, everything you see is quite real. Perhaps you are coming down with a fever...”

“Okay, spare me this tripe. You are an illusion and lying about that won’t change it. Last time I checked-” Tanya pointedly stared at the giggling catgirl “- animal people did not exist. Which horny bastard even came up such a retarded idea in the first place? Simply slapping animal parts onto normal humans doesn’t make sense at all! I like to think that my subconscious would be more creative or put some more thought into what is biologically viable and was it not, but as usual I get disappointed. Now, have you finally decided to help me, Mr. ‘I’m-a-real-person’? Because if not I will have to find someone else and afterwards I am going to have a stern word with your employer.”

Wagging her finger threateningly at the old man had not the intended effect as he committed the worst sin any service provider could perform: He ignored her in favour of someone else.

“That would be me.”

A tired sigh left Tanya’s lips as she turned around to find the same green-haired woman from earlier standing there next to Reinhard with her hands indignantly resting on her hips. Of course these nuisances would continue to bother her!

“Enough! I swear I’m gonna lose it soon...” she hissed out between her teeth in frustration. “Reinhard if you are going to run after me like a dog after a stick then make yourself at least useful and get me something to eat! You are supposed to be my bodyguard or retainer or whatever.”

He looked apprehensive for a moment before he relented and hurried away with a murmured “Yes, Milady.”

Nice. What a good dog. Now onto the next problem at hand:

“Why are you insulting my confidants?” glared that obnoxious Crusch woman.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about. It’s not my fault that Being X was so uncreative when he designed this fantasy world. Honestly, what are you even supposed to represent? With that silly uniform dress... Mmh... Some twisted ghost of my time as a soldier perhaps? Assuming that all of this even has a meaning of course...”

Ha! The face that she was making was too precious!

“Please compose yourself, Tanya! You aren’t acting like yourself at all! Stop this mockery before the damage to your reputation becomes irreversible!”

She wanted to retort, but the young mage was promptly interrupted by the oddest voice she had ever heard.

“Hahaha! Bravo! Bravo! Whooooo would have thooought that we would be treated to suuuuch a spectacle! The hero whom we owe this wooooonderful festival has graaaaced us with a most excellent surprise! Why, I am compleeeeetely floored by your performance, Laaaaady Tanya!”

That uncomfortably exaggerated manner of speaking belonged to a tall man who was literally dressed and made up like a clown. A purple suit, comically tiny top hat and overblown smile completed his absurd look. Although, why was this look so... familiar?

“Taste is apparently one of those commodities money cannot buy...” she quipped to drive away the slight hint of unease which scratched at the back of her brain.

If the colourfully dressed man was offended by her words then he did not show it on his face, for the amused glint in his mismatched eyes never wavered.

“Ha! You woooound me Lady Tanya! Aaaall Mathers heirs have dressed this way for centuries!”

“I am sorry to hear that.” Tanya told him with a perfectly straight face.

“My, perhaaaaps you slew the White Whale with your words and nooooot your sword...”

“I am many things, but sailor or whaler has certainly not been among them.”

“Alright, I can’t... I... Hahaha! This is too funny! Hahaha!” interjected the slightly androgynous catgirl who had been standing nearby and was now wiping tears from her face. “I am sorry Crusch... Hahahaha! But this... Haha! This is just hysterical! Old Man, bring Subaru over here, please. He is gonna... Hahaha! Get a kick out of this!”

“I am unsure if this would be wise-“

“Go on Wilhelm. What’s done is done. There can’t be any harm in letting him participate in this tragedy. Maybe he will make her remember.” ordered Crusch with quiet resignation.

Meanwhile Tanya only wondered when Reinhard would finally return. If he could keep up with her flight over the city then he must be fast enough to fill a reasonably sized platter with food by now. Well, she shouldn’t expect consistency from dream logic.

As proven by the fact that the boy being escorted by the butler looked remarkably Asian compared to the more western appearances of the inquisitively staring aristocrats.

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Subaru had felt dread from the instant when the blinding silver light entered the corner of his vision. Surprises like that were rarely a good thing in his immortal opinion. Unexpected events often led to his imminent demise after all. In a burst of courage he had placed himself in front of Emilia, trying to shield her from the levitating human-shaped disco ball. This could have been an assassination attempt or something equally sinister and she was the most likely candidate.

Emilia though apparently knew more about what was happening and thanked him earnestly with that precious smile of hers for acting so quickly in her protection. Puck probably warned her with his spirit cat senses, despite not visibly appearing once.

At the moment the shiny figure had vanished in the crowd and due to a distinct lack of mayhem and screaming, Subaru assumed that everything was going peacefully. Still, he couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the mysterious, flying Silver Samurai cosplayer.

The whispered conversation he was half-heartedly listening to stilled as he noticed Wilhelm’s impressive stature looming over him. Subaru was both impressed and intimidated by how a man well past his prime could be so damn strong and sneaky at the same time.

“Please come with me, young man. Lady Tanya is awaiting you.”

“Me? Tanya?” he asked in confusion.

Wordlessly the white-haired butler nodded and led him back to where he came from. Emilia followed dutifully behind, so Subaru had no choice but to tag along as well. 

Most people inside the hall had congregated into a loose ring around where the person (who was presumably Tanya) had descended, their eyes fixed in the direction of its centre. Half pushing, half squeezing himself through the mass of murmuring nobles, he was ultimately able to see what all this fuss was about.

There indeed waited Tanya, only her usually attentive and composed demeanour was replaced with open boredom and disdain. She looked far more like the insufferable Priscilla Barielle whom Emilia had described in detail.

Trying to ease the tension with a friendly greeting he waved: “What’s up, Tanya? Nice dress, by the way.”

When the frigid weight of her ice-cold gaze hit him, Subaru nearly took a step backwards in fright.

“Am I also supposed to recognize you? Let me guess... You want to tell me that you are my brother? No? My long lost childhood friend or similar sentimental nonsense?... Don’t look so surprised! I have already seen through this whole sham, so you won’t surprise me with such petty lies.”

“Ehhhm... Wha-...” he answered eloquently.

“She thinks we are in a dream!” snickered Felix from his right.

“But... Ah...”

Subaru looked back towards his blond friend in order to make sure that the catg-, eh, cat boy was speaking the truth. Tanya’s mask of stoic disinterest undeniably confirmed the theory. His mind desperately scrambled to come up with a solution to this conundrum.

“Is she... sick? Can’t you... I don’t know... heal her or something?”

“Afraid not. I can mend the body, but not the psyche.” replied the healer, suddenly dead serious.

“Roswaal… Do you have any idea how to…”

The eccentric magician merely shook his head, observing the scene in silence.

“Ehm, ok... Say, Tanya... You really don’t recognize me? You know, I’m the guy who travelled with you in the same carriage... White Whale? Witch Cult? Doesn’t ring a bell?”

Her glare uncomfortably reminded him of Ram after her sister... “No, Subaru! Focus!”

Grasping for straws he decided to mention their darkest secret: “Why? Tanya... Don’t you remember what we discussed together? About Return by D- Ungh! Damn it!”

As usual, squeezing agony flooded his chest when he talked about his curse in the presence of other people. However what he had not anticipated was for her to also grip the flesh over heart in obvious pain. Progress!

“How did you-“

“We both come from a different world! This is not a fantasy! I promise! It is terribly real!”

Anxiously he waited for any sort of reaction that would confirm that the one person in existence who could understand his suffering was not gone. How bitterly ironic that just when Subaru believed to have found a reliable ally, fate itself would turn against him and rob him of this little source of relief.

Before Tanya could fully open her mouth to answer the unspoken question that was burning his heart, a crimson-haired knight gently laid his gloved hand on her shoulder.

“Milady, dinner has been prepared in the Blue Suite.”

Immediately the growing spark in her eyes dimmed and her stomach audibly rumbled. All attention to him vanished as she licked her lips and vanished without paying him a second glance.

“Fuck!”

Chapter Text

Character 63

Roswaal followed the little anomaly with curiosity. When his gospel mentioned an ‘affliction’ he could have never imagined that Tanya would lose her memories! How thrillingly unanticipated! After four hundred years of existence surprises of such magnitude were rather uncommon. What could have caused the young girl to forget everything about Lugnica, misinterpreting her surroundings as merely a product of her imagination?

The witch’s cult perhaps? Those fools possessed an array of mystifying and unnatural abilities that even he could not predict.

Or were damages to the mind a side-effect of her mystical arcane prowess? In the few interactions they shared Roswaal had sensed no abnormally large mana reserves from her, yet she had defeated the White Whale in single combat which was a feat he would be hard-pressed to replicate. His informants described her strike as a ‘single golden beam of light as bright as the sun itself’ so obviously she was a veritable powerhouse on the battlefield.

If there was one thing he had learned in his long, long life... then it was that no power came without cost.

Regardless, he would use this situation to his advantage as he always had and always would as long as his teacher lay imprisoned. In her vulnerable state it should be easy to pry secrets from Tanya that she otherwise would have never spoken out loud.

Not for now though, her single-minded obsession with food consumption would ensure that everybody was completely ignored until the little soldier had her fill. Furthermore, Reinhard van Astrea, her knight who looked painfully similar to the foggy memories of Reid from his youth, was clever enough to separate her from the gathered nobles in a separate room before she could make even more of an embarrassment of herself.

Already the guests here were licking their lips and discussed with greedy eyes how they could exploit this gaffe to their benefit. Their silly schemes and short-sighted plans had not changed throughout the centuries. To Roswaal they seemed like squabbling children who were trying to steal mother’s pie from the oven without the others noticing.

Well, at least they were undoubtedly human in contrast to himself, the Court Magician thought amusedly. For all their faults they would never sin and debase themselves like he had. Nonetheless, after twelve generations of atrocities Roswaal could not find it in himself to regret a single obscene cruelty he had committed in her name. Despite his distaste for lies and bloodshed not waning in the slightest, he found comfort and absolute purpose in his goal.

Was it brutal that the sun was going to fade away one distant day?

Yes. But it was also inevitable. The laws of the universe compelled it to die and there was nothing anybody could do against the heavy hand of fate. He was as much of a servant of destiny as the water that flowed down the river or the cat that caught mice. Bad things happened and he would force them to take place if need be.

For his teacher, no cost was too great. For his love, Roswaal was prepared to endure anything.

Which brought him to the mystery boy...

Subaru was suffering from some unseen force as well. The boy might be able to hide his true feelings from the half-elf or the maids, but for a tortured soul like him those inner pains were clear as day. How his eyes roamed around, searching for nothing or how he flinched when somebody grabbed him unexpectedly...

Most intriguing.

And was it only his own imagination or had the atmosphere suddenly grown colder when Subaru mentioned whatever they ‘discussed together’ was to Tanya? ‘Return by-’ he had called it before he got interrupted seemingly by a sharp pain in his chest... What was that about? Possibly a curse? Did he swear an unbreakable vow to never discuss the subject of their conversation? Such advanced soul sorceries were way beyond the scope of his pitiful grasp on magic.

Of course his tome of wisdom was not helpful in providing details, because his teacher simply loved to watch people find out crucial information the hard way. It was one of her many quirks as the Witch of Greed and the greatest collector of knowledge who ever lived. However her utterly inhuman mindset was precisely what had ensnared him back then...

Shaking himself free of those idle daydreams, Roswaal refreshed his smile and approached Subaru. The boy obviously held some connection to Tanya and he needed to cultivate that relationship if he wanted his plans to succeed. If their bond dissolved now then it would be far harder to lure the girl to his master’s grave.

“Whyyy do you look so dreary, Subaruuuu?”

“Tanya, well, I thought we were kind of friends? And now she’s forgotten me... It’s not the first time something like this has happened to me, but it still sucks, y’know?”

Not the first time? How fascinating. More questions for later.

“Aaaand? What are you going to do about it, Suuuubaru Natsuki?”

The boy blinked in confusion.

“What do you mean? There is nothing I can do.”

“Reaaally? Are you so easily discouraged? A few woooords are enough to make you despair?”

“Of course not!” he snapped, “But without her memories...”

With a lazy wave of his hand Roswaal continued: “Then you will juuust have to make new ones. Perhaps she will remember, perhaps she will not. I only know that she must be teeeeerribly alone right now...”

Subaru was somebody who quickly formed attachments. They were his most glaring weakness. Taking control of these metaphorical chains was simple.

“Or what do youuu think, Lady Emilia?” he grinned towards the silently fidgeting half-elf.

“Ehm, oh, ehm...”

She bit her lip as she visibly wracked her brain for an answer. Suddenly becoming the focus of the discussion noticeably stressed her out. Then a remarkably determined expression settled on her innocent face.

“I think we need to help her! Yes! It is for our own good that our ally recovers swiftly! I am sure we can figure something out! We cannot ignore the plight of our friend, because... Because then she won’t fulfil her end of our bargain! And we need her, yes! Not helping her would be flubbing the dub! Definitely!”

The boy looked at her with clear endearment.

“Oh, Emilia-tan your excuses are adorable! You don’t need a reason to help a friend.”

Turning to look him in the eyes, Subaru stated: “You are right Roswaal. I can’t just do nothing while our friend and ally is probably in danger.”

Ah, the margrave involuntarily shivered at that steely resolve in the boy’s voice. He would make a fine tool. Hopefully he was going to display such strength of mind in the upcoming trials. It would be a shame if he broke before completing his part in the events to come.

“Also who says ‘flubbing the dub’ anymore? You sound like my grandma, Emilia-tan!” he joked abruptly, switching the mood.

“Subaruuuuu...” whined the girl in embarrassment.

Roswaal smiled nearly genuinely. These children were too young to be dragged into conflict and misery. The world was indeed cruel to make them the keys to his success, ensuring that they furthered a plan outside their comprehension.

Nonetheless, he would do his duty. No matter how cute they appeared at that moment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reinhard let none of his inner turmoil show on his face. His Lady was gorging herself on the mountain of delicacies he had procured from the staff, indulging in a manner he had never seen of her before. Whenever her control slipped, Tanya would inevitably reign herself back in a few seconds after. The air of a dignified and guarded officer always accompanied her.

Her current behaviour was so uncultured, yet also so free in comparison. Like she was a completely different person. Did that mean that she had merely played an act before? Faked her stern facade? Well, not really. His Divine Protection of empathy told him the opposite in the past. This was so strange...

“Ughaaa... I wish I could eat like this in real life too...”

If there was one thing he knew with one hundred percent certainty about his Lady, then that she was a logical person. One did not earn a high military rank without either high birth or exceptional intelligence. Maybe he could appeal to that rational side of her to convince Tanya to stop this folly? The longer she followed her delusions, the harder it would be for her to accept that she was actually in Lugnica.

“Milady, what exactly is your reasoning behind this belief?”

“Huh?” she asked, her cheeks adorably stuffed with the remains of her dinner.

“The assumption that you are currently in a dream... How did you arrive at that conclusion?”

Slowly she swallowed and wiped her mouth with a napkin, obviously collecting her thoughts. He took that as a good sign. At least she was humouring his question at all.

“Well, let’s see...”

She held up one finger.

“Firstly, I wake up in a land I never heard of, in a bed that is not my own and surrounded by people I never met before.”

Reinhard did not wince. He would serve his Lady even if she could not remember him.

“Secondly, this is all... far too pleasant to be genuine.”

A dark expression entered her eyes and her lips pursed in displeasure.

“Actually tasty food, a warm bed, a flourishing nation and a rich benefactor who takes care of me, treats me with reverence and makes me nobility or something? Technically I am a noble, but that title is on paper only. In reality I have nothing to my name. My weapon and even the clothing on my back belong to the army. I have no home, no family, no friends or servants! I am a replaceable cog in the mindless machinery of war that fights for survival every day! There is no peace and no luxury for me! So obviously this false paradise must be an illusion!”

At the end of Tanya’s rant her voice became rather heavy with emotions that Reinhard himself knew all too well: Bitterness and longing. His heart clenched tight as he witnessed the inner troubles of his Lady, laid bare to him in her most vulnerable state. It was an honour to be trusted by someone who was clearly far stronger and simultaneously more unfortunate than him.

Reinhard felt the spark of self-hatred inside his heart grow. Who was he to wish for even a tiny bit of love when his Lady clearly needed it more – no – deserved it more!

“I am deeply sorry to hear that, Milady. You mentioned a great and terrible war before. Forgive me, but was your life so dreadful prior to coming here that you cannot fathom that such basic delights could be authentic? Is the absence of conflict enough to paint this all a lie?”

“Hey, don’t make me sound like the lunatic here.”

“Forgive me, Milady. It was not my intention. Yet still, I must know.”

It was rude, but this was for her own good. He liked to think of himself as her friend, and from what he heard, friends were supposed to care for each other even if they didn’t realize that they needed it.

“Well... If you put it that way... Alright, let’s assume for a second that I believe you on this; then my first point still stands. Nothing here seems familiar to me and you treat me like I have known you for a while. This doesn’t add up. The last thing I remember is... uhm... is...”

Her delicate brows scrunched up as her voice tapered off in uncertainty.

Was that fear on his Lady’s face? Could that foul artefact have permanently damaged her memories? By the Divine Dragon...

“Why...”

Rage overtook her normally angelic features, twisting them into something truly terrifying. Despite his status as the Sword Saint, Reinhard felt the faintest shiver run down his back as Tanya’s appearance changed into that of a murderous demon. (Not that he would ever dare to refer to her as such.)

“BEING X, YOU BASTARD!”

Greenish-blue mana flared up around her form as she shoved her chair so hard away that it splintered against the wall. This could quickly escalate into a bloody catastrophe if she vented her fury within the royal palace! He had to stop this at all costs!

“Milady, please control yourself!”

Reinhard flinched not as her ire redirected itself towards him.

“You! You are here to spite me, aren’t you? Haven’t you taken enough? Now this too? Do you have no shame?”

“I assure you I am not whoever you are referring to! Please remain calm!” he tried to pacify her, his hands raised in a nonthreatening gesture he often used on civilians.

Unfortunately that seemed to have the opposite effect.

“As if! You piece of shit!”

Lady Tanya sprung on him with her fingers suddenly sporting several glowing claws that his supernaturally blessed vision identified as sharp enough to cut through solid steel with ease.

Naturally the strike missed.

Her eyes widened a fraction, but her other hand swiped exactly where his head was only to equally fail at hitting him. He truly was pathetic wasn’t he? He couldn’t even let his Lady hit him if she desired to relieve some stress.

“Please Milady! I am not your enemy! Tell me who this ‘Being X’ is and I will hunt them down for you if I must! But please cease this play and let us talk clearly about your situation!”

“Never!” the young woman glared back.

Once again a barrage of different swings from her claws was unable to make contact with his body despite the laws of nature dictating that he should be minced meat by now.

“Trust me! I have nothing to do with your... condition. We can talk this out.”

Unsatisfied with her impotent attack, Tanya lunged for his throat and attempted to strangle him. Reinhard did not resist for he knew that her success was impossible. Air was unnecessary for him to live. Monsters like him were not bound by human limitations.

As her grip failed to dent his skin she finally cried out in frustration. It was an ugly sound of pure despair that Reinhard wanted to never hear again.

“Please don’t cry, Milady. I am on your side. I would do everything for you. Together we can surely find a way to make things right. I promise!”

Even to himself, his word was less than nothing. Nonetheless, he did mean them. Despite all his power he couldn’t save his Lady and brought her sorrow. How shameful... Who could trust such a failure?

“This is the end isn’t it? You’ve grown bored of me at long last... Or am I just going insane? Hehe...” she whispered to herself.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

In a spontaneous burst of overwhelming compassion for the woman whom he had failed so dreadfully, Reinhard leaned down and embraced his Lady. He felt like he was dirtying her with his mere touch, but etiquette or decency had no place in his mind during that moment. To him, Tanya looked like a little girl in need of comfort and he was the next best tool to grant her reassurance.

“There, there... I will stay by your side. Always. You are not insane, Tanya. You can relax. I will keep you safe from whoever is wishing you ill. Nothing can harm you here. Shhhh...”

They would figure out how to get her memories back. Regardless if he had to beg the Divine Dragon to heal her or travel beyond the great waterfall, it would be done!

Chapter Text

Chapter 64

There was no denying it.

This world was probably not a dream.

After having helped her to calm down, Reinhard had carefully explained to her what had happened in the last few weeks. It was all so... fantastical, yet the longer he spoke the more weird flashes of ‘almost-memories’ appeared at the back of her mind. Always out of focus, blurry and vague, but undeniably there.

Tanya felt like a child.

Like the biggest idiot who had ever graced the earth.

All in all, this whole evening had to be the most embarrassing event of her two – or three – lives. Who could tell anymore? With her mind partially wiped, maybe she would never know the specifics of how she landed in this strange land of animal people and medieval fantasy tropes. Some weird crystal robbed her of her memories, obviously a scheme from Being X, and she fell for it like a naive fool!

Oh, what a mess she made...

“Don’t be sad Milady, everything will come together eventually. I am going to procure the best healers of the kingdom and see what they can do. Perhaps you shall recover completely and if you do not... then I will still support you until the end. Look at what you have achieved in such little time already... With your keen intellect you will no doubt surpass my wildest expectations in no time. I believe in you, Tanya. ”

The worst part was the total sincerity in his voice as he looked her into the eyes. Never had anybody been so nice to her before, but she was too tired to question any hidden motives. If she could accept being magically teleported to a different world to take part in the selection process for the position of monarch then she could also accept the unwavering devotion of her knight.

She groaned.

“Remind me again why I even willingly took part in this political debacle? Because it seems more trouble to me than a pretty crown is worth.”

Reinhard merely smiled tranquilly and patted her hand.

“For the kingdom’s sake, Milady. Though it pains me to admit, the nation is in an ailing state and in dire need of a capable ruler. Poverty is rising and our neighbour states are growing restless at the opportunity to invade our weakened borders. Trade is suffering and the people fear for their future.”

“Yeah, but why did I volunteer for that duty? I am just a lieutenant colonel, no stateswoman.”

“At the start of the royal selection, you made a rather convincing argument against each of the other candidates. I believe that you asked the attendees something along the lines of ‘ Don’t you deserve better than greed, militarism, arrogance or naiveté ’? Despite the bold nature of that statement, I cannot disagree with it. I have absolute faith in your ability to lead and were you not the best candidate for the throne, I would not have sworn myself to you. You are incredible, Milady, and you are going to be the best queen Lugnica could hope for.”

Jeez, what overblown opinion did this guy have of her? She was a somewhat accomplished soldier and salaryman, but not a mythical hero or genius or whatever! Against such amazing expectations she would inevitably measure up to be a disappointment.

Urgh, she really didn’t want to disappoint this guy.

Judging by how he had totally outclassed her at combat earlier, playing with her and dodging swipes that should not physically be evadable, Reinhard was an absolute beast on the battlefield. If she ever fell out of favour with him then she had no desire to experience what he could do with the sword at his side that earned him the title “Sword Saint”.

“Well… if you put it that way...”

Damn it. Due to his excessive praise, refusing to take part in this unnecessarily complicated election process would only sound selfish and cowardly. After all, if she was the ‘best’ candidate then how could she leave the poor citizens with four ‘subpar’ choices instead? If that was actually the truth mattered not.

Either she had grossly oversold her own abilities weeks ago, or those other candidates were indeed tyrants and despots in the making. They however, were still intimately familiar with the political landscape of this country and likely possessed far reaching networks of spies and allies. She was at a total disadvantage here...

With the exception of Reinhard of course.

He could have easily killed her if he wanted, but he stuck to her side and prevented her from making a terrible mess of things. Tanya needed to cement their work relationship and earn the trust that he put in her! This knight was her most precious resource.

Yes, this was far better than nothing. The change from soldier to politician was abrupt, but she could manage. When she played her cards right then this life would possibly be the best out of all of them!

A genuine smile curled on her lips as her resolve strengthened and her mind settled on a wave of hopeful determination.

“Thank you, Reinhard. Together we can certainly achieve many things. I shall strive to do my best if you will have me.”

“Please lift your head, Milady.”

Tanya’s gaze met his and he nodded at her almost excitedly.

“I am happy to have you back. I knew you would overcome this obstacle as well.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------q------

“You honestly claim this to be the result of a fever?”

Crusch knew that Reinhard was lying. She also knew that he was aware of her Divine Protection and the fact that she could clearly discern such falsehoods. What she could not discern though, was why he was lying.

It was... upsetting to see a normally so upstanding and honest person blatantly deceive the nobles he served reliably for years.

“Yes. In her slightly impaired state, Lady Tanya made the unusual decision to play a prank on the honoured guests of this ball. After realizing the mildly problematic nature of her jest she has chosen to retire early and sends her deepest apologies.”

Well, the last part was actually true! Not that any of the sceptical aristocrats would realize that.

“This is absurd! Laughable even! Why would she-“

“Hey, powder face! Let it go!”

Ah, Subaru. The likeable fool couldn’t have chosen a worse time to pipe in. Should she save him from embarrassing himself?

“You dare?”

Nah, maybe it was the mischievous influence of Felix speaking through her, but it was more enjoyable this way. If Emilia couldn’t control her knight then she better learn quickly. People in general needed to learn more responsibility in order to not become dependent on outside help and grow weak like Lugnica had done over the centuries.

‘Curse the stupid dragon...’ she silently spit.

“It’s rude to doubt Tanya’s knight like that! Isn’t he some important honcho as well? Moreover, you’ve seen that she wasn’t acting normal. Cut her some slack! No need to badmouth a royal candidate, right? ”

Small, approving nods spread throughout the crowd. Although the boy’s speech was crudely formulated, it was still poignant and factually correct. Lord Torlib had committed a minor faux pas by openly questioning the Sword Saint’s ( admittedly false ) statement.

Caught in embarrassment after the public sentiment essentially shifted against him, the baron went noticeably red in the face which was remarkable for the sole reason that he was caked in makeup. It vaguely reminded Crusch of Margrave Mathers, if a bit less ‘clownish’ looking.

Reinhard apparently took pity on the twitching man and cleared his throat.

“As a gesture of her regret and boundless generosity, my Lady has seen fit to bestow every esteemed guest of this event with a piece of skin from the Hakugei, the White Whale itself as a trophy of her glorious victory. They shall be delivered to you shortly.”

Crusch chuckled at the simplistic nature of this overly transparent ploy.

By directing everybody’s attention to her success, away from her mishap, Tanya was attempting to re-establish dominance, overshadowing her mysterious illness with rare trophies that had the nobles squabbling like children over a shiny new toy. Most of these spoiled idiots were so easy to distract that she honestly had to wonder how her beloved homeland had not long since fractured under the weight of the elite’s casual incompetence.

At least Wilhelm would be delighted to have a physical reminder of the fact that his wife had been avenged. He more than deserved that much.

“Heh, a dog dispersing treats to his fellow mutts... How amusing...” drawled that harlot Priscilla from somewhere behind her, indifferent to the outrage her demeaning words would cause.

Arrogant or mad, her every sentence was uttered with the cool confidence of a player who was certain that their opponent had already lost. In any case, Priscilla’s meteoric rise as one of Lugnica’s most influential landowners confirmed that there was some basis for her self-perceived superiority, however shaded in deception that might be.

There was also a certain excitement hidden underneath the seemingly careless boredom and Crusch endeavoured to be wary of whatever the ‘Sun Princess’ was anticipating. If her impression of the young blonde was right then she would be the type to find delight in chaos and misery.

‘A typical Vallachian trait.’ remarked a vicious, prejudiced voice inside her mind before it was suppressed.

Crusch was not going to let herself fall to such pettiness.

“Furthermore, Lady Tanya thinks it prudent to once again discuss the future of our wonderful kingdom with the other royal candidates.”

‘Truth.’

“Therefore she has asked me to deliver a casual invitation to Lady Emilia, Lady Karsten, Lady Barielle and Lady Hoshin to join her for tea tomorrow afternoon. Though she might not be fully recovered, she was quite insistent. As equals in the race for the throne she would be overjoyed to welcome her in her new home.”

‘Partial Truth.’ surmised her Divine Protection.

Equals? Since when had they been equals? Especially with Tanya’s lead of eliminating a sin archbishop, hundreds of witch cultists and the Od-be-damned White Whale in a single day?! One did not need to be well versed in court politics to spot the obvious blandishment. If this whole evening hadn’t been so confusing she might have felt insulted.

Naturally she was required to show up to this sham of a tea party anyway. It would be highly imprudent to give that little demon a reason to dislike her or rally the others to her cause in the duchesses’ absence. It would make her look weak and ungrateful as well, inciting ungainly rumours of jealousy amongst the populace.

First the foreign girl nearly lost her mind and now came with an offer of parley...

Crusch renewed her vow to get to the bottom of this mystery and if the wellbeing of Lugnica demanded it, eliminate the budding menace before it was too late and things could spiral out of control!

Chapter Text

Chapter 65

Sleep was fundamentally overrated. She had slept enough during her short-term coma to last her enough for the next week if she pushed it a little. And she would have to, after all, there was so much to re-learn, so much to bring in order that it consumed her every thought. Securing her powerbase, garnering public favour and staying out of trouble were her most important goals for the time being.

PR was definitely not her strong suit, but Tanya believed that she knew enough about human psychology and business conventions to sell the image of a competent, fearless leader to the masses. While she was weak she needed to appear strong in order to stay in control of the situation before her political enemies could dogpile her and drag her reputation down. Pretending as if everything was actually alright had saved many a organisation from certain doom, but just as many fell due to never delivering on said promises.

The people she needed to convince the most were her competitors, eager to undermine her at every opportunity. By inventing them on her own accord they would be forced to listen to her and could not freely spread rumours or set plots in motion. Otherwise, if she had nothing to hide why wouldn’t she clarify things immediately?

So she pulled out all the stops.

Tanya would personally greet every visitor in the entrance hall underneath the freshly mounted head of the White Whale. Its grizzly appearance would remind them of her ‘legendary feat’, cementing her as a person to be respected in their heads.

Hopefully.

Then her ‘tea party’ was held in a different place than last time . For this was indeed the second time she had apparently instigated such an event. Technically they all had already convened approximately two weeks ago, but without memories she could obviously not recall. Nonetheless, the small garden pavilion on the east side would serve as a demonstration that she had nothing to hide, even while talking out in the open.

Furthermore she planned to let her soldiers ‘coincidentally’ march in formation along the main path around thirty minutes into the meeting. Her rivals were politicians and those respected strength.

Hopefully.

Once again she was grasping at straws here. Oh well, it couldn’t be too bad, could it?

Dressed in what Reinhard called her ‘gala uniform’ she sat patiently in the lobby, one leg slung over the other as if she was the most relaxed person in the world while inwardly vibrating with anticipation.

Finally the servants opened the doors for her first guest of the day:

Crusch Karsten, duchess and avid figurehead of Lugnica’s nationalist party.

Standing up she smiled widely.

“Hello, I am glad you could come.”

With a polite nod she let the green-haired woman bask in the atmosphere of what basically amounted to her makeshift throne room.

Symbols held power and if the flickering of Crusch’s eyes to the yawing monster head above her seat was any indication, her ploy was already beginning to prove its effectiveness.

“It was no issue. Although I had to cancel a meeting with the mayor, he is a very understanding man.”

The greenette’s voice was even, but Tanya could hear the hint of annoyance carrying it. Understandable. In her opponent’s situation she would have also been peeved if she got forced to call off her previous appointments overnight.

“My sympathies. Then I am even more thankful that you made time for me, Lady Crusch.”

Her shallow bow was met with a raised eyebrow. Had she made a blunder?

“Would you like to wait here for the rest of our group or would you prefer the gardens?”

The green eyebrow rose higher.

“You want to wait for them personally? What if they don’t show up?” questioned Crusch.

“Oh, I am sure they will. Who would want to be left out in a discussion such as this?” Tanya half-joked, though her guest just nodded thoughtfully.

“Then I will be staying here.”

“Perfect.”

On her command a seat was carried to her side and she tapped the cushions invitingly. Together they would greet the next newcomer as a singular unit; like they were already a team which would strengthen her appearance. As ‘equals’ they sat on chairs of similar make, although her position in the centre made it clear who held the strings.

Doubt overcame her temporarily. Maybe she was majorly overthinking this...

Before she could offer the duchess an obligatory refreshment the doors opened again.

Emilia, half-elf and her biggest ally apparently. Tanya read their contract three times this morning and was convinced that her past self must have been a damn genius to rope the beautiful demi-human girl into this agreement.

As she was supposed to have spent a week on Emilia’s estate she had to act in a more familiar way than with Crusch.

“Emilia! Good to see you again. Thank you for coming.”

The silver-haired girl looked dumb-struck by the giant head on the wall, but eventually smiled and moved in for a hug.

How unexpected...

Had they been that close?

Hesitatingly Tanya reciprocated.

“I was a little worried about you, but maybe Subaru was right, hehe...”

Subaru was her knight. His name stirred the faintest recollection in the back of her mind, but perhaps she was just imagining it. It sounded remarkably foreign compared to all the European inspired names here after all.

“I am perfectly healthy. No need to worry.” she reaffirmed as they separated.

“I am glad...” mumbled Emilia, directing her attention to the other person in the room. “Hello, Crusch. Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise.” hummed the greenette curtly.

Tanya attempted to put as much levity into her voice as she could: “Come sit with us! We can wait here for the others. Would you like to drink something?”

Two negative answers caused her smile to stiffen for just an instant before she switched over to her pre-prepared small talk topics. Thank her lucky stars for the gossip of Reinhard’s maids or else she would have been left with only the weather!

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“... And that is why I think that we should fund public education. In the end it only helps everyone. Ehh, sorry... I might have gotten off track there for a second, hehe...”

Emilia was unexpectedly passionate about improving the lives of the under and middleclass. For someone who was born naturally beautiful and likely enjoyed a peaceful and well off childhood, the silver-haired girl was incredibly empathetic to those of other walks of life

“No, no, I agree. The citizens of Lugnica need to become strong on their own. We need to stop being reliant on outdated systems and for that the people require proper institutions in order to learn.”

Tanya was impressed. Despite its medieval set dressing, this world was far more progressive than the stories in her first life about this time period had made her suspect. Universal, state-sponsored education sounded like a pretty socialist idea on paper, but the reality of the twenty-first century had undoubtedly proven that giving everybody a comparable baseline knowledge wise increased productivity across the board.

So she chimed in: “Indeed. Ignorant, poor people stay ignorant and poor and that serves nobody. To save Lugnica from becoming irrelevant and weak this country needs willing and capable workers who can demonstrate their true potential. It is good to know that regardless of which of us three wins the throne, has so much sense.”

Looking back, this conversation had shifted to some rather serious topics already without even trying. Originally she planned to wait with that, but maybe it was better this way.

The doors swung open and in swept Anastasia Hoshin, also called ‘Merchant Princess’ for her incredible fortune and knack for business. Of all her competitors, Tanya was wary of her the most. Vast amounts of money coupled with high intellect and a ruthless attitude made the innocent looking purple-haired girl a credible threat. The others were as well, but if the stories were true then none of them had the hard-nosed, tough mindset born from working your way up the corporate ladder from poverty to the very top.

“Perfectly on time! Thank you for accepting my invitation, Anastasia.”

“Would have been foolish not to, ya know? And another look at the woman with arguably the most interesting dress at the ball was kinda irresistible.”

The dry tone made it impossible to tell if she was joking or mocking her, but Tanya still had to hide her irritation at the unsubtle dig.

“Well, thanks for the compliment. It was a magical dress, you see.”

Her ‘costume’ if you could charitably call it that, had been an insulation blanket more than anything, but nobody needed to know that.

“Kinda figured. With the whole glowing thing, ya know? I don’t assume you’d sell one in my size? Would be the hit at the next company conference.”

“Unfortunately no. There exists only one.”

“For shame.”

“Do you want to sit with us?”

“Nah. I’d rather stand and look at the big fishy.” Anastasia said and pointed at the wall. “Gobbled up quite a few of my wagons of mine and only the spirits know how many I lost that I can’t even remember because the blasted fog destroyed all evidence that they ever existed. So gimme a few minutes to appreciate its death.”

Tanya nodded silently and waited for a few seconds.

Just as she opened her mouth to resume talking, the merchant girl asked:“You made it painful, yes?”

Most likely? She would surely not have tried to treat such a monster in a humanitarian manner.

“Yes.”

“Good. Serves it right.” Anastasia responded darkly.

“I agree to that.” added Crusch.

Emilia clutched her hands in her lap, saying nothing as a heavy silence descended over the hall.

Breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere Tanya decided to move on to the main event:

“Have you seen Priscilla’s carriage outside? If not, we should head for the gardens.“

“Ah, that–“

The sounds of the door crashing against the wall rudely interrupted them.

Priscilla Barielle, the ‘Sun Princess’ had arrived.

“You’re kinda late, ya know?” snarked the purple-haired business tycoon.

“Nonsense. A ruler is never late. She strategically chooses when to grace her underlings with her presence. Be thankful.” declared the mature blonde with a haughty expression.

Oh, she could already tell that this one would be problematic... Priscilla appeared to be an intensely irritating woman. Reinhard had been too kind in his description.

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Anastasia did not expect much to come from this whole mess. As far as she could tell, the blond military girl got messed up in the head and decided to throw a tantrum worthy of that Priscilla bitch and now she wanted it to sweep under the rug with pretty words and showing them all that she was in fact not insane. Probably should have realized that standing under the disembowelled head of one of the three calamities, grinning like a loan shark wouldn’t inspire the most confidence in her ‘peacefulness’, but hey, Ana could respect the hustle.

She was here to do one thing and one thing only: Make a profit.

Not a profit in money per se, although everything in life was inevitably linked to currency of some kind , but intel. They were enemies, so every scrap of info she got on all the other candidates was potentially extremely valuable.

Of course she had her spies and other networks supplying her with data, yet she was always hungry for more. Greed was really her best and worst trait.

‘Never enough...’

Unperturbed, she grabbed for another biscuit. They were quite good. No one appeared to be overly thrilled to carry the moderately interesting conversation about the current political climate, so the conversation was going slow.

However Tanya ultimately acknowledged Crusch’s closing commentary on the matter and folded her hands on the table, visibly switching to a more serious mood.

“On a different note... What you are certainly most curious about is my unplanned appearance on the ball.”

Was the girl finally getting to the point? Wonderful. Time was a limited resource and she was squandering quite a bit by sitting in a fancy chair and drinking even fancier tea. 

“To put it simply, it was the result of a failed assassination attempt. A powerful enemy tried to corrupt my mind, but they failed. I temporarily was lulled into the false belief that I was dreaming, yet with the help of my knight I was quickly able to overcome that notion. I have gathered you here to warn you about possible similar attempts on your own lives.”

Mmmm, good story, except it didn’t quite add up, did it? Yesterday, there had been more going on than that. Tanya didn’t recognize anybody and appeared to have forgotten her entire time in Lugnica.

Now the little stranger claimed to have regained those memories miraculously soon after which was just strange... 

“Why do you think we could be at risk?” cautiously asked Emilia.

“It came from the Witch’s Cult.”

Now wasn’t that cheery news? Ana was definitely going to upgrade her security if that was true. Technically she knew that the band of murdering lunatics represented a danger to every person in the kingdom, but if they were directly going after royal candidates then that changed things.

“As you already know, I defeated the sin archbishop of sloth while travelling through Emilia’s domain. That he showed up near her should have been a warning sign.”

She was no superstitious woman as prejudiced presumptions rarely paid well, but that might have also had something to do with the fact that the half-elf looked exactly like the Witch of Envy was described in the history books. Associating with the monster that destroyed half the world in any form was never something positive.

“Furthermore, we were ambushed by a second sin archbishop on the way back, someone who claimed to have a gift for me. I was understandably sceptical of such an object and let it be checked over by an expert, but this magician turned out to be a traitor as well. Is it not reasonable to assume that after both Emilia and I were attacked by the witch’s cult you could be targets too?”

It was definitely a sound argument. Sowing chaos and terror by eliminating Lugnica’s future rulers sounded exactly like stuff those maniacs would do. Caution in affairs like these always paid out in the long run.

“Ha! As if these mongrels could harm me!”

Well, it seemed as if the bitchy princess disagreed. Naturally.

In any normal market such overconfident behaviour would have gotten her bankrupted or killed, but somehow Priscilla had managed to thrive in this harsh world of cause and effect despite her disdain for common sense. This was one of the reasons why she absolutely loathed that woman. ‘Getting lucky’ should not be a winning strategy, yet this hussy got everything handed to her on a silver platter.

Anastasia herself did have luck in the past of course, but the foundation of her success was built on ingenuity and much hard work. She herself had never the option of just doing anything because she ‘felt like it’. There were always costs, risks and profits to consider. Nothing in the world came for free and if she had to struggle then so should everybody else, damn it!

“We are all made of flesh and blood. We can all die to a blade in the dark.” explained Tanya in a fruitless attempt to talk some sense into the shrew.

Priscilla merely chuckled heartily.

“You are entertaining. I think you might make an adequate servant for one such as I.”

Yep, she could not stand this abominable woman one bit.

“A mirror should provide enough amusement for you, no?” Ana asked sweetly.

Just as one might swat away a bothersome fly, the blond noble waved her manicured hand at her.

“If you are not strong enough to survive an assault of these pests then you do not deserve to be king. Not that any of you could even dream of ascending the throne as it is my birthright.”

“While I do not entirely disagree with your first statement, I think you underestimate the influence of the cult. Over a dozen generations of Sword Saints and thousands of our brave troops were unable to eradicate them over the centuries. Carelessness is not a desirable trait of royalty.” Crusch stated coolly.

“Eh, the sooner you meet your end the sooner this farce can blow over. If those cultist swine had actually accomplished their goals then you wouldn’t sit here to try and lecture me.”

“How can you say something horrible that calmly?” frowned the silver-haired girl, clearly scandalized by the comment.

Wishing death up your opponent so openly was in Ana’s experience usually reserved for seedy bars and auction houses.

“Calmness is the privilege of the powerful.” smiled Priscilla, basking smugly in Emilia’s indignant expression.

Tanya broke off the budding conflict before it could turn ugly by serving another round of tea.

“In any case, the last subject I wanted to touch on was dividing the remaining popularity targets.”

The what now?

Apparently the duchess shared her confusion because she asked: “Could you please elaborate? What do you mean with ‘popularity targets’?”

“Well, it was not the greatest name, but I thought it’d fit. Basically, as I understand – and please correct me on this if I am wrong – but there only remain seven major threats in Lugnica. The other five sin archbishops and the two great demon beasts. A rabbit and a snake, I believe.”

Anastasia laughed freely.

“Hahaha... The way you say it, it sounds like a laundry list. Do you honestly want to split these between us?”

“Exactly. Each of these will grant the individual who manages to slay them fame and admiration. Seeing as I already took care of two it would only be fair if I gave each of you the opportunity to do so as well.”

Huh. That crazy traveller from beyond the great waterfall was dead serious.

Ana burst out laughing again; this was too absurd. Haggling for monsters whose mere mention could send grown men running....

“Haha! Don’t mind if I take you up on that! It’d be a good way to get my name more out there!”

She certainly would not look the gifted land dragon in the mouth. At last not until she led it around the corner.

“U-uhm, thanks, but I don’t think I want to... you know hunt down the Horned Rabbit or anything. That’s a bit... too dangerous. Even for Subaru despite how brave he is.”

“I have no need for paltry trophies. The people will vote for me regardless of what they think of me.”

With a meaningfully raised eyebrow Ana challenged Crusch to speak up.

“No interest in running Lust or Wrath through with that shiny sword of yours? Wouldn’t want to let dear Tanya here steal your accomplishments before you even arrive.”

Judging by the greenette’s narrowed eyes she understood the reference and did not appreciate the fact that Ana knew about her failed expedition. When you were integrated into the merchant scene it had been kind of hard to miss how the Karsten household bought off swords and carriages while the White Whale was sighted near the capital. Honestly, it was a little bit sad how the noble got robbed of her victory.

“I have no plans to fight anything major in the near future and as such I also have to respectfully decline.”

Man, the poor woman must have been more disheartened by her failure than expected. Satisfied, Anastasia nodded and took an additional biscuit. Yes, things were looking excellent for her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 66

“My Lady, a certain ‘Subaru’ is seeking an audience with you.”

“Mmh?”

Glancing up from the manuscript she was studying, Tanya passively regarded the servant who had disturbed her intense studying of Lugnica’s tax system. Some things seemed to be really universal, as they of course should be, to keep a society of rational individuals stable.

“He is waiting at the front gate. From his garb to his features he seems to be authentic. Shall I let him in, my Lady?”

“Yes, please do so.”

She was curious what Emilia’s knight could want from her. Maybe he carried a confidential letter that her ally only entrusted to the hands of her closest servant? But what could the half-elf not have told her face to face yesterday?

Her window did not allow her to see if the boy was on his way to her, but she got alerted to his presence by a curt knock to the door of her personal study.

“Come in, please.”

Settling a comfortable customer service smile on her face she greeted the entering teenager. Although she was of higher rank than him, Tanya did him the courtesy of standing from her seat. Politeness was a free gift after all.

“Hello, Subaru. How can I help you?”

Thin, black eyes regarded her with an indecipherable emotion as he stayed silent.

Was something wrong?

“You really don’t remember me, do you?”

The question threw her for a loop. How could he infer that from her generic greeting?

“Of course I remember you. Why wouldn’t I? We spoke with each other very amicably last week.”

At least she assumed so.

“Ha! That’s one way of putting it. You don’t recall us also both dying by chance, right?”

What the hell was he talking about? Maybe he was testing her? Or he was just delusional.

How awkward...

Maybe a joke could lighten the mood? She had never been good with those, but it was the only thing she could come up with.

“You look rather healthy for a walking corpse...” she chuckled lightly.

An ugly expression entered his gaze for a second before disappearing just as fast.

Oh, that was the wrong word choice then. Trying to back-paddle she switched to a serious tone

“What I meant is that if we actually died then we wouldn’t be here. You are most likely describing a different phenomenon, but I sadly don’t understand what you mean.”

More silence filled the room with an uncomfortable atmosphere.

“So you really don’t...” Subaru trailed off, a grief-stricken look crossing over his features.

Damn it! She should have said nothing! This secret could not be allowed to reach Emilia’s ears or else she might annul their alliance!

She needed to deny, deny and triple deny it before the damage became irreparable. If worse came to worst she would have to either threaten or bribe him into submission.

“Obviously that is not true. I know perfectly well what I did in the past; it just escapes my mind at the moment what specifically you are talking about. Please articulate clearly for I am a busy woman and have many plans still for today”

Instead of listening to her like a sane person, Subaru began ranting to himself, fists tightly clenched and eyes unfocused.

“Of course... my luck...my rotten luck! Fuck! I got my hopes up for nothing! Everything was working out so fine... and now... No, I can’t be alone! I won’t be alone again!”

There was mad desperation basically radiating from his person that she didn’t like. It reminded her of that accursed puppet of Being X. Madness like that turned a good, productive human being into a mindless husk reigned by instinct, no better than an animal.

“Don’t worry Tanya! I’ll save you! I’ll make this right! That’s what friends are for and I won’t leave you to suffer alone any longer!”

Yes, he definitely lost it. At least temporarily.

Reaching out to calm the boy before he did something he would regret later, Tanya’s hand instead snapped to her concealed weapon as he lunged for the letter opener on her desk. Was he going to attack her? Had he completely snapped?

Her first instinct had her grabbing for her pistol to eliminate the potential threat; however she waited just long enough to see Subaru raise the blade not against her, but himself!

Was he suicidal?

Shakingly his hand hovered above his throat and Tanya was honestly absolutely unsure how to handle the situation. This wasn’t her subordinate, so she technically couldn’t command him to stop, but there had to be something she could do against this waste of a promising young man. He still hesitated despite the clear anguish on his face which made her optimistic that he wasn’t entirely gone yet.

“Subaru! Listen to me!”

“I have to do it! Come on! This shouldn’t be so hard...” he whispered to himself, fully ignoring her presence.

Alright, he was not listening. When words failed then actions needed to be taken. Lunging forward she gripped his arm with magically enhanced strength and ripped the offending item from Subaru’s weak grasp.

“What were you thinking? Stop this nonsense and explain to me clearly what you’re talking about!”

Tanya did not think that there could be any logical reason behind impulsive self-harm, but confronting his inner thought process would ideally wake him up to the gravity of the situation. Logic triumphed over emotions and it was the duty of every rational individual to carefully manage the feelings that could cloud their judgement. By being forced to articulate his painfully absurd statements Subaru could enter the self-reflective phase of self improvement before he hopefully learned some permanent lessons.

“I am here and I am willing to listen. I appreciate that you obviously care a great deal about me” – for whatever reason she could not discern – “but I am no mind reader. Let’s take it nice and slow while you just sit down for a while and breathe, understood?”

Well, he did at least appear to calm down somewhat, even if the boy’s confused blinking bordered on comical. She half led, half gently pushed him into an armchair far away from any sharp objects that she was able to spot. No need to tempt fate.

Writing a report to Emilia about her subordinate’s behaviour was not going to be enjoyable, Tanya thought exasperatedly.

Ringing the bell near the door three times in order to signal whoever was listening to fetch refreshments from the kitchens, Tanya weighed the pros and cons of investing more time into this debacle which was going to sharply eat into her study schedule. Playing the role of a counsellor was really not on her agenda today, but what other choice did she have? In the end she silently affirmed her decision to entertain an emotionally disturbed teenager if only for the sake of her alliance with his superior.

“I just ordered a wonderful pot of coffee or ‘Kaff’ as it’s known in these lands. I am sure it should make this whole affair a fair bit more relaxing, no? Why don’t you tell me some basic facts about yourself in the meantime so that we can check how much of it I actually do remember? That should put your fears to rest.”

Tanya planned to nod along with whatever he said and add some of the sparse details she could discern from context clues as to appear convincing. It was a skill anyone had to learn who regularly conducted workplace interviews.

“Ehm... This is not-“

“No, no! Please go on! We have a few minutes.”

Subaru’s eyes swept down to the letter opener in her hand and in response she let some simple illusionary sparks dance around the gleaming metal.

He swallowed.

She smiled.

“Uh, you know, I am Subaru Natsuki... seventeen years old. My hobbies include... gaming, helping people out and... cleaning I guess? I wasn’t too bad of a servant. Although Ram was always mean about it I know she was impressed by my impeccable butler skills!”

Halfway through his speech, confidence crept back into Subaru’s voice and his demeanour became noticeably more animated. A lesser person would have suffered crippling whiplash from such a sudden switch in emotions.

“I love Emilia-tan and I aim to become her knight! I am not amazingly talented or super strong, but I can do it! Call it a fool’s dream all you want, but I’ll get my happy ending! And I’ll take anyone I care about with me, so we can one day all smile together!”

Wow, that was a vastly more impassioned declaration than anything she anticipated. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so positively about something. When he talked like that, Subaru kind of sounded like a protagonist from one of those fantasy shows her co-workers had talked about during the corporate scheduled lunch breaks back in her first life.

That kind of naive optimism would have been beaten out of him during his first week in the Rhine theatre... Or perhaps not. Now that she thought about it, her personal adjutant also never lost that cheery determination no matter how many enemy soldiers she beheaded...

“That’s what I want to be able to say anyways. Sometimes I’m not sure I really believe it. It’s not like I can actually talk about... you know, anything! But-” severity returned his voice and his sharp gaze settled directly on her own, “I have to try. I’ve been useless for too long. I only got one ‘ gift’ – if you want to call it that – but even if it’s a shitty power I make the most of it.”

Tanya hummed noncommittally, trying to decipher the subtext in his statements. She needed to know more if what he was speaking about was at all relevant to her own past. Maybe she should offer a few encouraging words to keep him talking?

“An admirable attitude. I remember thinking something similar when I joined the army.”

Not really, but there was no need to reveal that. She had simply been a starving orphan trying to make use of her only selling point: her magic. It hadn’t even really been a choice if she was being honest. Anyone in her shoes would have accepted the enticing chance to earn three hot, nutritious meals per day despite the inherent risk of flying out onto a live battlefield. A quick bullet was preferable to the aching hunger twisting her insides.

“Huh... Okay... Think, Subaru... Calm down...” he mumbled to himself, suddenly closed off once more.

Indeed his frantic breathing slowed considerably as he first stared at the carpet and then back at her.

“I am sorry, Tanya-chan.”

Her eye twitched involuntarily.

How dare he call her that!? She had half a mind to sharply reprimand him, but he was suffering from some kind of mental illness, possibly bipolar disorder, so she opted to genially ignore his slip.

“I got ahead of myself. Triggering my power now would have been counterproductive. Resetting everything on an impulse could make things a lot worse. Beako would have surely scolded me... hehe. Or at least looked disappointed... I want to be able to trust you in the future which means that we have to work on this together. I don’t want to be alone again.”

She slowly believed she understood what he was talking about. Provided of course that he was not completely delusional, but that seemed more improbable the longer she observed him. Tanya still had not forgotten how she misjudged her surroundings by treating them too sceptically. A little faith in the rationality of human action was appropriate as Subaru’s demeanour had meanwhile cleared of telltale signs of fanatic stupidity.

“I am glad you realized the error of your actions.” she coolly remarked.

A knock from the door caught her attention, informing her that Reinhard’s servants continued to perform their work superbly. Such speed on part of the cooks and the maids was admirable. Not letting her guest out of view, Tanya accepted the tablet brought to her through the half opened door and quickly set it down on her desk.

Subaru ultimately refused a cup so she merely poured herself a cup, delighting in the taste of the freshly brewed beverage. It was quite delightful.

Reinhard had managed to acquire an exotic plant from the neighbouring kingdom of Vollachia by pure chance that approximated coffee rather well. Of course, it might have even been real coffee beans just under a different name, but her sense of taste had gotten so messed up from all the substitute coffee that she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to distinguish the original flavour with absolute certainty.

Pushing those thoughts away as the time she was stalling began to grow excessive, Tanya casually asked:

“And just how many times did you die, then?”

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“Thank you very much for sharing all this with me, Subaru. Kindly tell Emilia that I wish her well and that she can contact me at any time if she wants to. That applies to you as well of course. And please remember to not attempt to change my past without my consent. I value my individual freedom greatly.”

Exchanging a few more meaningless pleasantries, Tanya waved the strange boy goodbye and collapsed into her chair as soon as he was escorted out of sight.

Honestly, in a way ‘Return by Death’ was worse than the blasted Type 95. To be possibly manipulated without any way of proving it drove her deeply ingrained paranoia to new heights.

‘My, how terrifying... How overpowered is this guy!? No child should be given so much power.’

Her head was pounding, her mind a whirlwind of questions, possibilities and flashes of what either could be memories trying to resurface or daydreams caused by the stress.

Pinching the bridge of her nose she slowly let everything set in. Being X was trying to screw with her again, but after changing worlds twice nothing seemed impossible for him to try anymore. Maybe she should count her blessings that he hadn’t turned her into a helpless pet for insufferable children or inserted her into a setting where everyone spoke backwards and lived in anarcho-communist villages.

She shuddered.

Confronting a teenager who could always escape death seemed positively mild in comparison. Possibly even useful. Taking this at face value it sounded incredible. Immortality and protection against anything! That was if he wasn’t lying of course.

She had seen the raw discomfort in his posture; the revulsion clinging to Subaru’s every word. Such emotion couldn’t be faked without training and from what she knew of the knight-to-be, he was not a scheming manipulator. At least not such a brilliant one.

Could she even really disprove such an outlandish ability? Where was the difference between hallucinations of the future and literal time travel? Testing it out herself was obviously a horrible idea, although it would certainly be the most reliable way.

Regardless, time manipulation was a factor she would have to consider in her future plans, no matter how insane it sounded in theory.

Tentatively she reached over and blindly grabbed a sheet of paper as well as a quill and began to take notes. Frankly, documenting her exact experiences in an encoded fashion should have been a priority for her since she first noticed what the cursed computation jewel did to her sanity.

As a person of only slightly above average intelligence, Tanya’s knowledge of her first life was her biggest advantage over her peers. For years she had attempted to make herself indispensable to the general staff by drawing upon her advanced understanding of modern war doctrines. By carelessly risking her memories she had basically tempted fate to strip her of this boon.

Constantly re-dipping the archaic writing tool into an inkpot really made her miss fountain pens. Although the calm rhythmic process left her ample time to consider every word she put onto paper.

‘Can turn back time whenever he dies. Everyone forgets and the world returns exactly to how it was before. I am the only exception so far. Further research required.’

At least Subaru was going to stay in the capital for a while. His magical organ was somehow being healed by Crusch Karsten’s famous knight in a process which was projected to take multiple weeks of therapy.

Furthermore, bizarrely he thought of her as a close friend or confidant despite the short duration of their acquaintance. Obviously he could barely cope with the strain of his repeated demise and was putting far too much trust into her for the simple fact that she was apparently the only one he could tell about his experiences. A most curious fact that reeked of meddling from malicious wannabe-deities.

The way he talked about his ability sounded like he had a lot of experience with dying. Was there no limit to his power?

Tanya underlined that question. Twice.

He claimed that he ‘lost count after dying a dozen times’, but upon further probing Subaru had revealed that he actually did not even want to know, fearing that it might drive him insane if he was confronted with the whole sum of his suffering.

Understandable, but disappointing. 

However it wasn’t like she would wish to recall how many times she got stabbed by some thugs in a dirty alleyway. There was a good evolutionary reason eidetic memory was not a widespread phenomenon among humans.

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Roswaal emotionlessly read over another letter addressed to him from the Sage Council. It was all standard fare; the demands of people who believed themselves to be far more powerful than they were. Their little lives were so dull and unimpressive that he stopped feeling anything about those fools and their ilk centuries ago.

To be fair that was true for most who were not relevant to the great plan of his teacher or had otherwise inexplicably wormed their way into his shrivelled heart. Like the pink-haired girl sitting in his lap for example.

“Shall I burn these, master? You would not be forced to respond if I had a tragic mishap while cleaning the kitchens.”

Her voice was so adorably flat, but he could see the mirth sparkling in her eyes.

“No, Ram. Dealing with a tiiiiny bit of trouble at the border is quick work for me.”

Absent-mindedly he massaged the spot on the maid’s forehead where he was infusing mana into her in just the way she liked it.

“I aaaam the court magician after all. You could say it’s my responsibility to caaare for the kingdom.”

A deeply ironic statement, but Ram needed no explanation for that. Instead she openly enjoyed his touch which brought him some sort of twisted entertainment. For all his wisdom even he could not discern why that foolish girl fell in love with a wretch like him in spite of her awareness of his sins.

Some of them at least.

“By the way, have you sent the invitation to our deeear Frederica yet? She will have to play her role rather soooon...”

“Mh-mm...” hummed the Oni distractedly.

“Veeery good. Then you have to make sure she hasn’t lost her touch when I take Emilia to a tour of my territories next week. Wooouldn’t it also be nice if Subaru could accompany us as well together with your sister?” he grinned impishly.

As expected her face smoothed out to portray none of her emotions, inevitably providing him with a clear reaction of what she thought of her beloved twin and the miracle boy spending more time alone together.

“If that is your wish, master. Although I must remark that it will just put more stress on my poor sister when she has to constantly look after him and clear up his messes while she does her best to fulfil her duties to you and Lady Emilia, Lord Roswaal.”

“Aren’t you the least bit fond of him, Ram? You eeeeven kept that little flower he gifted you, because ‘it matched the colour of your hair’ or am I wrong?.”

“It would have been a waste to dispose of the flower that he so brutishly uprooted. I felt sorry for the thing. To be touched by Subaru’s rough hands is a fate worse than death.”

Roswaal chuckled at that. His maid’s mind was truly an enigma. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 67

Time passed in a blur for Tanya as she spent her days overseeing her freshly recruited fighting force and studying the nuances of Lugnica’s internal politics. Such a task would have been far more daunting, however, had it not been for Reinhard supporting her every step of the way. He was apparently an exemplary worker in every field he set his attention on which meant that he had a large number of vacation days saved up over years of diligent service for the royal knights that allowed him to remain with her permanently.

She had been most pleasantly surprised by the information that this medieval society even knew the concept of flexible vacations. The more she discovered about this strange new world, the more she found herself appreciating it.

Naturally, Lugnica was not without many faults as well, but with the right direction, it could turn into a prosperous and progressive country.

Its biggest problems as far as she could tell were the systemic discrimination against demi-humans, its stifling border politics, increasing activity of the Witch’s Cult and an overall decay in morale which resulted in corruption, loss of productivity or people turning to outright crime.

Not the best situation, but still leagues better than the Empire that was besieged on all sides in the biggest war of human history. Millions of capable men and women had been bled from the workforce and thrown into the meat grinder and huge swathes of the industry transformed into a restless machine solely focused on supplying the ever-hungry army.

Yes, as long as she could prevent another war from escalating in this world as well, Tanya was prepared to give anything short of her life.

And if Subaru was to believe then even that might not be off the table...

Glancing back at the training field she cupped her mouth and yelled:

“Come on, I expect more than this, you maggots! Are you already tired? Have I been feeding you too much so that you have all become fat and lazy? Well then, let me correct that. If any of you can’t complete this exercise in time then you will be going to bed hungry tonight! How sad... I even overheard the chef saying he wanted to make some cakes, but you ain’t going to get a single bite of it if you behave like children! So, get up maggots!”

Thanks to her sound amplifying formula every one of her trainees was able to hear her words and the results were obvious. Frenzied activity broke out among the ranks of sweating and panting recruits as they went beyond what their bodies told them was possible just to attain more of the sweet fruit cake that she had hooked them on previously. Food, sweets and rest were powerful motivators for those deprived of it.

In her periphery she noticed a servant approach her from the direction of the main building. The Astrea estate was so vast that even after traversing most of it she still could not recall every person under Reinhard’s employ. There were just too many.

Choosing to not divert her attention from the field, she spoke to the sharply dressed butler without turning her head:

“Is it something urgent?”

“Yes, Milady. Sir Felix Argyle seeks an audience with you in the Red Salon. We deigned to grant him entrance as he is a good friend of Master Reinhard. We humbly ask for your forgiveness, Lady Tanya, should this displease you.”

“No, no. It’s fine. Thank you and please tell him that I’ll be there shortly.”

Everyone seemed to want to visit her for some reason. Hopefully the cat-eared knight wouldn’t be dropping any huge revelations on her out of the blue, but Tanya had long ago resigned herself to being negatively surprised in the worst moments time and time again.

In the end, through their collective determination her 304 th earned themselves the right of one slice of cake per person. She left them to continue their non-physical studies. Two thirds of her recruits could neither write nor read and the rest were far from perfect. With the help of a few hired tutors this issue would resolve itself in due time.

Strolling up to the ornate doors of the Red Salon the youngest royal candidate inspected her uniform for imperfections before pushing inside with a purposely confident step.

“My apologies for the wait. It is good to see you, Sir Argyle. I trust you are well?” she opened the conversation, her arms spread invitingly.

“Please just call me Felix, nya. And the wait was just long enough to get a little nap in, hehe. Being a royal guard can be a tiring job.”

He winked at her as if he was telling her a huge secret, never mind the fact that he looked completely alert and awake when she entered. Joksters who wasted time like that truly were the worst.

“Glad to hear that you are really stretching your limits then. I won’t keep you for long then or else I might rob you of more precious sleep. What brings you here?”

Instantly his posture straightened and his tone turned serious.

“It’s about Subaru.”

Ah. Of course.

“Oh? And why do you come to me then?” Tanya asked with a raised eyebrow.

She was not his liege, so why would Felix inform her of all people? It was clearly urgent, but that only made this situation more suspect.

“Nya, my Lady sent me. You seemed to care for the boy a lot and he speaks highly of you, so for the sake of the good relationship between our camps she deigned to inform you. You really should be thankful to her, nya!”

“Well, we will see how grateful I am after you pass on your message.” she responded drily, ignoring his disrespectful tone.

“Right. Subaru got a letter from that elf girl, nya. And apparently, it got him so riled up he promptly left with the blue-haired maid. I haven’t even finished healing him and that idiot runs away with barely a word to my Lady.”

Why would he have left so suddenly? And especially without informing her or Crusch? Something was definitely not right here.

Felix shook his head in admonishment.

“Anyways, my Lady thinks that something might have happened to Emilia and since you can fly really fast, who better to check up on our mutual ally, right?” grinned the demi-human.

Tanya pursed her lips.

Crusch was making a powerplay here by literally spelling her plot out to her in the most overt fashion. Either she went and submitted to the duchess’s desires, lowering herself to an instrument of her will or she resisted and wilfully disregarded the possible peril of her ally.

The decision in itself was a challenge of authority.

There was only one option:

Play right back.

“If Lady Crusch is this anxious I may as well do her a little favour. I couldn’t possibly leave her to dreadful uncertainty.” Tanya smiled with all the grace of a sleepy cat sparing a mouse’s life after feasting on their entire family.

Now this errand job – while still beneath her station – was framed as a generous act that the duchess would need to answer in kind, lest she be indebted to another royal candidate.

Felix obviously caught onto that, but his grin did not shrink in the slightest.

“That’s very nice of you, Lady Tanya. Would you kindly knock our dear Subaru on the head for me if he does something stupid again, nya?”

“I’ll see what I can do if the situation calls for it.” she replied dryly much to the amusement of the demi-human.

Maybe her knight could help her make sense of his conundrum.

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Reinhard was gripping his chin in an uncharacteristic display of uncertainty.

“This is troublesome. As much as I would normally advocate for investigating this oddity, without a formal call for aid we would be intruding uninvited upon Margrave Mather’s territory. Despite the alliance between our camps that would not look favourably for us. If Subaru had invited you directly then things would be different...”

“I understand.” she assuaged his unspoken question.

Protocol needed to be followed and hurting her reputation again so soon could end disastrously. Politics were annoying, but ultimately those rules were the backbone of any society.

“Furthermore, as much as it pains me to say... Bringing the Sword Saint anywhere with you could potentially be misinterpreted as an act of war. I am seen similarly to a... ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’ as you called it, Milady. The people might panic if news of this happening were to spread.”

Reinhard was a very reasonable, well-mannered and soft-spoken individual so in a way, Tanya was able to understand his frustration for being judged solely on his martial prowess. In the short time she knew him the red-haired knight had become indispensable to her.

She herself was familiar with that feeling of near omnipresent prejudice, although in contrast to Reinhard she had deliberately used it to strike fear in her enemies. While the details were foggy she recalled her snarling face on foreign propaganda posters with grim satisfaction.

“You don’t think following Subaru is worth the cost.”

“I did not say that, Milady. There could be any number of explanations of why he suddenly returned to Emilia’s side and many of them wouldn’t be enough reason to warrant intervention from our camp.”

“But you are worried about my safety.” she pointed out.

“Indeed, Milady. I am still not comfortable letting you go unprotected outside the capital again. Last time you did, you encountered two Sin Archbishops and the White Whale. I dread to think what the future could hold in store. I do not wish to see you hurt in any way, Tanya.”

As he reached down to grip her hands, there was deep sorrow in his blue eyes.

“And average foot soldiers wouldn’t have done me much good back then either.” she countered more to fill the heavy silence than as an actual argument.

Reinhard merely sighed and broke their slightly unprofessional skin contact.

“I know. And I will not stop you, Milady. One of the first things we learned as knights was to gauge which rumours to trust and which to ignore and this one seems to hold true. Felix would never lie so brazenly about something. That and my Divine Protection of divination tell me that something important is going to happen.”

“Since when can you see the future?” Tanya asked, flabbergasted.

He never mentioned that before!

“Since just right now. I asked for an ability to help me discern more about what is to come, however it is only a basic sense of those events. Nothing concrete; more of a feeling you could say.” he grinned lopsidedly, but it did not reach his eyes which were still full of worry.

“Good to know.”

“Nonetheless... I might have an idea to minimize the risk of chasing after our troublemaking friend. If you were to deliver something of great importance like a personal letter then that would suffice for an excuse.”

“Yeah, I figured as much. Crusch did the same after all.”

“By flying high up in the air you would stay out of sight, thus avoiding any possible conflict until you reach the Mathers Estate. I pray that you may find no ill tidings there. Conversely, should you detect a threat to your life – no matter how minor – then as your knight I am sworn to protect you and will be required to rush to your side. For me to leave the capital under such circumstances would be completely justified, even in the stern eyes of the council.”

“And how exactly am I going to notify you from all the way out there?”

“Please give me a minute, Milady and I will fetch what I need to explain the process.”

Tanya waved him to get on with it, moderately curious what trick he was going to demonstrate to her. Long-distance communication would be quite the advantage! Telephones were one of the greatest inventions of all time!

He returned with a painfully expensive-looking box. Gilded inlays and diamonds decorated the black wood in embellished floral patterns that managed to appear elegant and gaudy simultaneously.

Opening it revealed two plain gold rings.

“These are the traditional Astrea wedding rings.” Reinhard explained, “They are magically linked. If one holder were to die, the other would sense it. Consequently, destroying one of them should render the spell on the counterpart inert.”

Oh. He was telling her to destroy a priceless family heirloom just like that, huh?

“Are you sure you want to give up something so valuable?”

“Nothing is more valuable to me than you, Milady.”

As he put the magical artefact on her finger, her cheeks reddened the slightest amount in embarrassment as she thought about the implications of wearing a wedding ring for the first time. 

Did he really have to say these kinds of things to her with such an earnest face? Her knight was completely shameless! Nonetheless, she vowed to repay his kindness someday soon. There could be no taking without giving in a healthy work relationship. Tanya was not a parasite after all.

Maybe she could go on a longer tour through the country together with Reinhard as her bodyguard, so he would finally be able to see and experience more places? Hopefully he was going to appreciate that...

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Flying for the first time this week restored a bit of peace to her mind that she didn’t even know was missing. To glide above the land and embrace the total freedom that came with it would never fail to be at least a tiny bit thrilling.

Here she didn’t have to worry about enemy radar or hidden artillery trying to take her out. She was the sole predator of these skies, unchallenged and free to drink in the view of green hills and healthy forests. No smoke or gunfire marred this beautiful scenery and if her ally’s fate wasn’t dangerously uncertain then Tanya would have certainly quite enjoyed her flight.

She once again halted mid air and compared her surroundings to the simple map that Reinhard had given her. Subaru had had a head start of multiple hours on her, so she could not afford to waste time by accidentally getting lost.

A cold wind blew towards her, crinkling the paper. Tanya noted that as opposed to roughly ten minutes ago the sky was now completely grey and overcast by thick clouds that made discerning the exact position of the sun impossible. If she had forgotten to bring her field compass then that could have made determining her position needlessly complicated.

Slowly, a single white fleck floated down from above which was soon joined by many more, landing on her outstretched palm. In the time it took for it to melt on her glove she recognized the delicate little patterns of the snowflake.

Snow? Why was it snowing during summer?

How weird.