—3rd Person POV—
While Cole was busy giving the Heroes a crash course in setting up a campsite, the Melromarc Family was having a family meeting in the Queen’s room. Sitting on her mother’s bed, Melty watched silently as her father received a tongue lashing and the Shadows restrained Malty in a chair. She knew this was going to happen sooner or later, Melty just didn’t expect it to be the first thing that happened when they were all together.
“Do you know how much trouble you have caused Melromarc!”, the Queen shouted at her husband, “Melty and I worked for weeks trying to establish favorable results for Melromarc, but in a single day you ruined all of that. Both of us had to work long days and nights to prevent Melromarc’s invasion by our neighboring countries. Do you realize how close we were to being invaded!?”
“I take full responsibility for summoning them, it was foolish of me to listen to the Church and our daughter’s council.”, he admitted bowing his head, “All I wanted to was to ensure the safety of our people, nothing more. In hindsight, I should have rallied our army to combat the Wave instead and summoned only one of the Heroes. I know my actions have placed us in a precarious situation, and for that I am sorry.”
Rubbing her forehead in frustration, she was thankful he was no longer in a fog but wished he had snapped out of it sooner. Even though the International Conference let Melromarc off the hook, it came at a very steep price for them. Not only did she have to marry off Malty, but Melromarc would also pay Faubrey, Siltvelt, and Zeltoble large amounts of coin as they would have been the ones to also summon a Hero.
“While I am happy you have returned to your old senses, the damage both of you caused is already done. We will be reigning in our spending for a few years, but hopefully, we will manage to stay afloat.”, the Queen stated turning to Malty, “And you…”
Back handing Malty for the first time in memory, the Queen glared at her in anger. The Queen felt partially responsible for this as she had allowed Malty to go on this long unchecked. If they had done more to stop her, maybe things wouldn’t have come to this but now it was far too late.
“There are many things I want to say to you about your actions, but I…I am torn between seeing you hang for all you have done and trying to rehabilitate you as you are my child. I carried you for nine long months, watched you grow up, and tried to give you the best life I could…but it was all for naught.”, the Queen remarked with a sad expression, “You killed your own brother, a toddler at the time, in cold blood without a shred of remorse. What have we done to you that warranted such a cold-blooded killing? Your father and I love you more than words can express…where did we go wrong?”
Looking away from her mother, Malty chose not to respond to her. She had been this way for so long that now she herself wasn’t sure when it started. All she knew was that she had an unquenchable thirst for power and authority, one that couldn’t be stopped except under the most dangerous circumstances.
“...are you truly that far gone that we can’t save you?”, the Queen sniffled, “I don’t want to lose another child, but…we can’t continue to let you roam freely. You are far too dangerous to be left to your own devices, and you are a threat to our nation and people.”
Realizing what her mother was insinuating, Malty looked at her in shock. Malty honestly thought she’d be sent off to a monastery, or even placed under extended house arrest. The thought her mother would kill her never once crossed her mind till now.
“Mother, please wait a moment.”, Melty spoke up, “Kessler’s influence helped father regain his senses, we should let Kessler try to rehabilitate her. Father has already secured Malty and I shelter with his household till the cultists have been cleared from the castle.”
“Is this true?”, the Queen asked him.
“Yes, Kessler agreed to take Melty in as an Honored Guest while Malty will be no more than a servant in his household. He assured me that she will have a roof over her head and three meals a day, he has already made a long list of tasks for her to do.”, the King replied, “I don’t want to lose another one of our children either…he is our last hope, the alternative is taking her head. If making our daughter his maid will stay the sword, I am willing to take that chance.”
Having heard both of her parents mention killing her now, Malty understood that she was at the end of her rope. She had planned for every eventuality, but Kessler’s arrival threw her plans in disarray. All of her secrets were out in the open now so she couldn’t use them to barter with her family, and with the Church about to be destroyed, she couldn’t rely on them for aid. Seeing the walls closing in all around her, something in her broke.
‘So this is what it feels like to be isolated and vulnerable…’, Malty thought as the color in her face vanished, ‘I don’t like this feeling at all…”
“Very well, we will have to pray that he gets through to her.”, the Queen replied noticing a visual change in Malty’s facial expression, “Moving on, why are you three here now? Last I heard the three of you should have been in Castle Town.”
“The Church is leading a group of people here to kill the Demihuman Delegates from several nations.”, Melty spoke up, “They stole children from the families camped out below us, Kessler is here to rescue the children and eradicate the Church. I don’t know the specifics, but he mentioned showing the world what a Demon King really looked like.”
Memories of what she saw during the Wave came rushing back to the Queen. Knowing that Church wouldn’t be an obstacle for the Royal Family now, she saw this as an opportunity to start changing Melromarc for the better. With their influence gone, the Royal Family could rebuild it as the Church of the Four Heroes and begin undoing centuries of misdeeds against the Demihumans. This would eventually improve their international relations with other nations for the better.
“This means we will owe Kessler even more than we already do. After all he has done for Melromarc and our family, the title of Viscount is too little of a reward for him.”, the Queen remarked tallying up all the benefits they had received, “What could we give him that would be worth all that he has done?”
“Archduke…”, Malty spoke up softly, “You could give him the title of Archduke.”
Turning to look at Malty, all three of her family members looked at her in confusion. It was the first smart thing she had said in years to them, and it startled all of them.
“Archduke is an honorary title that hasn’t been bestowed on anyone in several generations. Knowing mother, she wants to improve our international relations before it’s too late.”, Malty stated, “If nothing is done soon, Melromarc will be left isolated in the International Community and potentially squeezed dry as the people leave for better opportunities. Bestowing Kessler with land and that title will encourage Demihumans in Melromarc to flock to his land as they know he will ensure their rights. This, in turn, will start fostering goodwill with the other nations, and slowly set Melromarc up for a stable future.”
“Is Archduke really a title though?”, Melty inquired of her parents.
“It…it is, I am surprised you knew that.”, the King replied looking at Malty, “The last Archduke became King when he married into the Melromarc Family. He was an Ancient Hero that originally started the system of suppression against the Demihumans. It would make sense that the next Archduke undo the damage.”
“Archduke…that could be the persuasion we need to keep him in Melromarc.”, the Queen stated rubbing her chin, “If we don’t do something, we will lose him and the Four Legendary Heroes.”
“Come again!?”, the King and Melty gasped.
Telling them about the most recent deal that was struck, the family realized they were in a race against time. If another nation gave Kessler a better offer, they would lose not only the Heroes but a powerful ally in rebuilding their nation. Asking the Shadows to begin the proceedings at once, the Queen wanted to get the offer out there before it was too late.
—Cole POV, Several Hours Later—
Waiting for everyone in camp to fall asleep, I slipped out of my tent and glanced over to the Hero’s camps. All of them had no night watch which left them wide open to attacks, something I would have to address tomorrow morning. Reverting my appearance back to my Demon King self, I headed into the forest to begin preparations for the Church’s eradication.
Walking like a phantom through the forest, monsters and animals alike paid me no mind going about their business as usual. Looking for a specific group of monsters in particular, I found some of them loitering around outside a cave deep in the forest. Sitting around a small fire while a boar roasted on top of it, they appeared to be celebrating their recent successful hunt. Deeming this group to be sufficient for my needs, I began to start to implement my plan.
‘Let’s begin…’, I thought walking out of the tree line.
As I stepped out of the forest, a cold wind blew past me and extinguished the flames. Sensing that something was wrong, the group looked and my direction and saw my fiery eyes looking at them. Letting out shrieks of terror they fell to the ground as their senses told them I was far out of their league. Pretending to play dead, I found it humorous that they were trying to play possum with me.
“Bring out your leader.”, I commanded raising my left hand up, “Go now, do not make me wait long.”
Picking themselves up in a hurry, they scurried into the cave calling out for their leader. Hearing two annoyed voices start to approach me, a Hobgoblin and Shaman came into my view. Demanding to know who was interrupting their slumber, the two of them shut their mouths the moment they saw me. Dropping to their knees out of respect, they asked me what brought me to their humble cave.
“I have work for you.”, I told them as I imparted images of the Church’s people in their minds, “There is a particular group of humans I want you to torment for me. For their last two days in this world, I want them to know no rest or peace. Follow them in the shadows, pick them off slowly, and ensure they learn their lives are nothing but a fleeting dream. Do this for me, and I shall bestow upon you my blessing and give you a proper home befitting my servants.”
“Your…blessing?”, the Shaman asked in Goblin Tongue.
“Allow me to give you a taste of my power.”, I said empowering the group behind them to new heights, “Faithful servants are rewarded handsomely for their hard work and dedication.”
Seeing their comrades gain strength and power, the Hobgoblin and Shaman looked back at me and accepted the offer. Turning their main group into Red Caps, I changed the Hobgoblin into a Goblin Knight and the Shaman into a Druid Goblin. Giving them a few moments to become more accustomed to their enhanced bodies, I eventually gave them further instructions.
“Do not harm the children among them, do as you will with the adults. When you arrive back in these woods, return here and wait for me. I will take you to a Dungeon which you can claim as your home.”, I commanded them.
“Can we take our revenge on our neighboring clans as well?”, the Goblin Knight requested.
“Do as you wish, do not cause harm to the other races that live in this forest.”, I ordered, “Go now and run my enemies down!”
Letting out a skin-crawling battle cry, the group of thirty goblins headed into the darkness. Tearing ass through the forest, I was sure they’d find the group by dawn and harass them throughout the next few days. It was a dirty tactic, yes, but one befitting a group of cultists willing to sacrifice children for their goals. With my work completed, I returned to my tent to rest for the night.
—3rd Person POV—
While Cole was busy giving the Heroes a crash course in setting up a campsite, the Melromarc Family was having a family meeting in the Queen’s room. Sitting on her mother’s bed, Melty watched silently as her father received a tongue lashing and the Shadows restrained Malty in a chair. She knew this was going to happen sooner or later, Melty just didn’t expect it to be the first thing that happened when they were all together.
“Do you know how much trouble you have caused Melromarc!”, the Queen shouted at her husband, “Melty and I worked for weeks trying to establish favorable results for Melromarc, but in a single day you ruined all of that. Both of us had to work long days and nights to prevent Melromarc’s invasion by our neighboring countries. Do you realize how close we were to being invaded!?”
“I take full responsibility for summoning them, it was foolish of me to listen to the Church and our daughter’s council.”, he admitted bowing his head, “All I wanted to was to ensure the safety of our people, nothing more. In hindsight, I should have rallied our army to combat the Wave instead and summoned only one of the Heroes. I know my actions have placed us in a precarious situation, and for that I am sorry.”
Rubbing her forehead in frustration, she was thankful he was no longer in a fog but wished he had snapped out of it sooner. Even though the International Conference let Melromarc off the hook, it came at a very steep price for them. Not only did she have to marry off Malty, but Melromarc would also pay Faubrey, Siltvelt, and Zeltoble large amounts of coin as they would have been the ones to also summon a Hero.
“While I am happy you have returned to your old senses, the damage both of you caused is already done. We will be reigning in our spending for a few years, but hopefully, we will manage to stay afloat.”, the Queen stated turning to Malty, “And you…”
Back handing Malty for the first time in memory, the Queen glared at her in anger. The Queen felt partially responsible for this as she had allowed Malty to go on this long unchecked. If they had done more to stop her, maybe things wouldn’t have come to this but now it was far too late.
“There are many things I want to say to you about your actions, but I…I am torn between seeing you hang for all you have done and trying to rehabilitate you as you are my child. I carried you for nine long months, watched you grow up, and tried to give you the best life I could…but it was all for naught.”, the Queen remarked with a sad expression, “You killed your own brother, a toddler at the time, in cold blood without a shred of remorse. What have we done to you that warranted such a cold-blooded killing? Your father and I love you more than words can express…where did we go wrong?”
Looking away from her mother, Malty chose not to respond to her. She had been this way for so long that now she herself wasn’t sure when it started. All she knew was that she had an unquenchable thirst for power and authority, one that couldn’t be stopped except under the most dangerous circumstances.
“...are you truly that far gone that we can’t save you?”, the Queen sniffled, “I don’t want to lose another child, but…we can’t continue to let you roam freely. You are far too dangerous to be left to your own devices, and you are a threat to our nation and people.”
Realizing what her mother was insinuating, Malty looked at her in shock. Malty honestly thought she’d be sent off to a monastery, or even placed under extended house arrest. The thought her mother would kill her never once crossed her mind till now.
“Mother, please wait a moment.”, Melty spoke up, “Kessler’s influence helped father regain his senses, we should let Kessler try to rehabilitate her. Father has already secured Malty and I shelter with his household till the cultists have been cleared from the castle.”
“Is this true?”, the Queen asked him.
“Yes, Kessler agreed to take Melty in as an Honored Guest while Malty will be no more than a servant in his household. He assured me that she will have a roof over her head and three meals a day, he has already made a long list of tasks for her to do.”, the King replied, “I don’t want to lose another one of our children either…he is our last hope, the alternative is taking her head. If making our daughter his maid will stay the sword, I am willing to take that chance.”
Having heard both of her parents mention killing her now, Malty understood that she was at the end of her rope. She had planned for every eventuality, but Kessler’s arrival threw her plans in disarray. All of her secrets were out in the open now so she couldn’t use them to barter with her family, and with the Church about to be destroyed, she couldn’t rely on them for aid. Seeing the walls closing in all around her, something in her broke.
‘So this is what it feels like to be isolated and vulnerable…’, Malty thought as the color in her face vanished, ‘I don’t like this feeling at all…”
“Very well, we will have to pray that he gets through to her.”, the Queen replied noticing a visual change in Malty’s facial expression, “Moving on, why are you three here now? Last I heard the three of you should have been in Castle Town.”
“The Church is leading a group of people here to kill the Demihuman Delegates from several nations.”, Melty spoke up, “They stole children from the families camped out below us, Kessler is here to rescue the children and eradicate the Church. I don’t know the specifics, but he mentioned showing the world what a Demon King really looked like.”
Memories of what she saw during the Wave came rushing back to the Queen. Knowing that Church wouldn’t be an obstacle for the Royal Family now, she saw this as an opportunity to start changing Melromarc for the better. With their influence gone, the Royal Family could rebuild it as the Church of the Four Heroes and begin undoing centuries of misdeeds against the Demihumans. This would eventually improve their international relations with other nations for the better.
“This means we will owe Kessler even more than we already do. After all he has done for Melromarc and our family, the title of Viscount is too little of a reward for him.”, the Queen remarked tallying up all the benefits they had received, “What could we give him that would be worth all that he has done?”
“Archduke…”, Malty spoke up softly, “You could give him the title of Archduke.”
Turning to look at Malty, all three of her family members looked at her in confusion. It was the first smart thing she had said in years to them, and it startled all of them.
“Archduke is an honorary title that hasn’t been bestowed on anyone in several generations. Knowing mother, she wants to improve our international relations before it’s too late.”, Malty stated, “If nothing is done soon, Melromarc will be left isolated in the International Community and potentially squeezed dry as the people leave for better opportunities. Bestowing Kessler with land and that title will encourage Demihumans in Melromarc to flock to his land as they know he will ensure their rights. This, in turn, will start fostering goodwill with the other nations, and slowly set Melromarc up for a stable future.”
“Is Archduke really a title though?”, Melty inquired of her parents.
“It…it is, I am surprised you knew that.”, the King replied looking at Malty, “The last Archduke became King when he married into the Melromarc Family. He was an Ancient Hero that originally started the system of suppression against the Demihumans. It would make sense that the next Archduke undo the damage.”
“Archduke…that could be the persuasion we need to keep him in Melromarc.”, the Queen stated rubbing her chin, “If we don’t do something, we will lose him and the Four Legendary Heroes.”
“Come again!?”, the King and Melty gasped.
Telling them about the most recent deal that was struck, the family realized they were in a race against time. If another nation gave Kessler a better offer, they would lose not only the Heroes but a powerful ally in rebuilding their nation. Asking the Shadows to begin the proceedings at once, the Queen wanted to get the offer out there before it was too late.
—Cole POV, Several Hours Later—
Waiting for everyone in camp to fall asleep, I slipped out of my tent and glanced over to the Hero’s camps. All of them had no night watch which left them wide open to attacks, something I would have to address tomorrow morning. Reverting my appearance back to my Demon King self, I headed into the forest to begin preparations for the Church’s eradication.
Walking like a phantom through the forest, monsters and animals alike paid me no mind going about their business as usual. Looking for a specific group of monsters in particular, I found some of them loitering around outside a cave deep in the forest. Sitting around a small fire while a boar roasted on top of it, they appeared to be celebrating their recent successful hunt. Deeming this group to be sufficient for my needs, I began to start to implement my plan.
‘Let’s begin…’, I thought walking out of the tree line.
As I stepped out of the forest, a cold wind blew past me and extinguished the flames. Sensing that something was wrong, the group looked and my direction and saw my fiery eyes looking at them. Letting out shrieks of terror they fell to the ground as their senses told them I was far out of their league. Pretending to play dead, I found it humorous that they were trying to play possum with me.
“Bring out your leader.”, I commanded raising my left hand up, “Go now, do not make me wait long.”
Picking themselves up in a hurry, they scurried into the cave calling out for their leader. Hearing two annoyed voices start to approach me, a Hobgoblin and Shaman came into my view. Demanding to know who was interrupting their slumber, the two of them shut their mouths the moment they saw me. Dropping to their knees out of respect, they asked me what brought me to their humble cave.
“I have work for you.”, I told them as I imparted images of the Church’s people in their minds, “There is a particular group of humans I want you to torment for me. For their last two days in this world, I want them to know no rest or peace. Follow them in the shadows, pick them off slowly, and ensure they learn their lives are nothing but a fleeting dream. Do this for me, and I shall bestow upon you my blessing and give you a proper home befitting my servants.”
“Your…blessing?”, the Shaman asked in Goblin Tongue.
“Allow me to give you a taste of my power.”, I said empowering the group behind them to new heights, “Faithful servants are rewarded handsomely for their hard work and dedication.”
Seeing their comrades gain strength and power, the Hobgoblin and Shaman looked back at me and accepted the offer. Turning their main group into Red Caps, I changed the Hobgoblin into a Goblin Knight and the Shaman into a Druid Goblin. Giving them a few moments to become more accustomed to their enhanced bodies, I eventually gave them further instructions.
“Do not harm the children among them, do as you will with the adults. When you arrive back in these woods, return here and wait for me. I will take you to a Dungeon which you can claim as your home.”, I commanded them.
“Can we take our revenge on our neighboring clans as well?”, the Goblin Knight requested.
“Do as you wish, do not cause harm to the other races that live in this forest.”, I ordered, “Go now and run my enemies down!”
Letting out a skin-crawling battle cry, the group of thirty goblins headed into the darkness. Tearing ass through the forest, I was sure they’d find the group by dawn and harass them throughout the next few days. It was a dirty tactic, yes, but one befitting a group of cultists willing to sacrifice children for their goals. With my work completed, I returned to my tent to rest for the night.
