Neia carefully touched her lips as she remembered the previous day or at least she hoped it hadn't been just a naughty dream she had conjured up from her depraved mind. Her fingertips gently brushed over her slightly wet lips, carefully imagining the moment they kissed his skin as she wrapped them around his shaft.
The moment it entered her mouth into her throat. Her hand drifted to her throat as she gulped. The way her throat constricted and then relaxed as her hand rested on her throat threw her back to the way she struggled with his mighty tool, swallowing around it almost painfully. It was a fantasy straight out of her masturbation session that she had reveled in for multiple nights already.
She tried to rebuild the taste in her mind, but her imagination was unable to replicate it. The taste was like a forbidden truth unable to be grasped, something that shouldn't be and something that would resolve all of her troubles and problems, real or imagined. Just trying to replicate what had happened, the scent, the taste, the hand resting on her head as he pushed her down his cock, forcing her to milk him with her mouth...
She had hoped for this to happen, for him to force himself onto her, to force her to give up on her dream and serve him instead. A fantasy that might come true if she said the words; if she pleaded with him to take her in. She was sure it was an opportunity many women would kill for, something that was just unattainable to the vast majority of her betters and here she was hesitating.
If she didn't take this opportunity now then it might be lost forever. The thought struck her deeply and she couldn't help but be swayed by the idea. It hadn't been the first time she had thought of giving up everything she had worked for and instead, to chase after her feelings. Even her mother had confessed that the feelings as her mother and as a wife were almost too strong at times, so no one could really blame her for thinking like this, right?
Her mother had compromised on many things to stay with her and raise her. Something that had been incredibly hard on her as her conviction and sense of duty as a paladin had always been steadfast in any other scenario.
Now she too was swayed by feelings, by the love she felt for a stranger that decided to reach a hand to her and pull her out of her misery and show her the way to happiness. Perhaps he didn't even realize what his action did to her. How his affection rattled her. Even now, her heart skipped as he patted her head and smiled so gently at her.
His mighty hand that could cover her entire face rested gently on her head, giving her a soothing and warm feeling as she just tried to endure. It even dispelled the anxiety that was created by the few women among the paladins shooting glares at her for the treatment. However, Lord Azazel didn't seem to realize their gazes and until now she had been the only one that received this privilege of getting close to him. Something she knew she didn't deserve.
In a daze, she started to prepare the horses as was expected of her, though she was quickly interrupted by a paladin, who just said that he would take this task off her hands. She just nodded. Of course, she knew this had to be because of the relative closeness Lord Azazel was showing her.
She wanted to thank him for this positive turn of events, but she realized not all changes were all that good. Not to mention, the obvious jealousy of the women, there was a glint in a few of the men's eyes, telling her they were planning something. Her gaze had always been sharp and as an outcast, she spend more time observing people from further away than interacting with them.
Through this, she had picked up some skills that allowed her to assess certain signs of danger and even if it was hard to accuse her fellow paladins, some of them meant trouble. Not the kind of killing your group as traitors to humanity kind of trouble, but the kind of spreading rumors and smearing your reputation trouble.
It was to be expected as there were already whispers among them, though most couldn't really believe it. Even the usual mellow Roland had asked her if there was something between her and Lord Azazel, which she resolutely declined.
That being said, she still had to go to Lord Azazel and inform him of the turn of events. She didn't want him to get blindsided by this when he had been nothing but good to her. Although it wasn't even beginning to pay back for the help he offered, she had to start somewhere, right?
After a morning of preparation was done, they started their journey again through the forest. For half a day, they experienced no trouble except for some false alarms triggered by some animals. They were already getting close to the ruins, the destination of their little trip less than a few hours away, when they came across a suspicious-looking cave.
A cave that shouldn't exist on the path they had taken. There was something weird and dare she say, sinister about it, especially since they couldn't peek into the cave. The entrance seemed to swallow all light, making it impossible to glean anything from it. This mission was only to eliminate a group of demi-humans and not some randomly appearing cave, but it wasn't easy for the paladins to ignore something potentially evil- not if it appeared blatantly in front of them.
"We should investigate it. Perhaps it is a faulty illusion spell for a demi-human camp, which broke for some reason." Lord Azazel speculated as he walked out of the carriage and scrutinized the cave from afar before deciding to approach it.
Roland tried to convince him to stay on the carriage to no avail. From what she had seen in the short period of time they had spent together, Lord Azazel was rarely and not easily swayed by others, even or maybe especially if the reasoning involved his well-being.
The confidence and stubbornness of a high-ranking adventurer shouldn't be underestimated as neither should their skills. It was clear that he could handle himself. However, she shared Roland's concern for Lord Azazel's safety, though for other reasons than the paladin.
"We can not continue our journey without investigating it at least for a bit, just to make sure it isn't to any danger for us or any passerby. I don't want to have an unknown risk in my back when we deal with the demi-humans. It would make a retreat risky and the chance of winning a two-pronged attack would be low." He reasoned and his thoughts were easy to digest and agreed with.
If his conjecture was correct, it would be disastrous if it was truly a demi-human camp that decided to aid their fellow people once they started their attack. However, it was also a fact that many adventurers died tragically because they challenged something they shouldn't have. Usually, this would of course only apply to lower-ranked adventurers, but this cave looked like trouble. Unknown trouble at that.
Roland looked around at the paladins, whose expressions hardened after they listened to Lord Azazel's words. They would need to make sure this unknown cave wasn't a hidden danger to them, especially since it was rather close to where they might battle the demi-humans. After getting their opinions through the lack of verbal opposition, he started to direct a few paladins to secure the surroundings before ordering some others to prepare to scout the place.
It was at that moment Lord Azazel stepped forward again. "That won't be necessary." He stated, oozing confidence and reassurance. "As an adventurer, I have more experience dealing with unknown places, so I will take the lead on this one." There was no room for discussion and everyone could feel he wouldn't take a no for an answer.
To be fair, since he was a two-party team, he ought to have picked up some scouting skills, which made him the most qualified to find out what this cave held. Besides, paladins weren't known for their exceptional scouting skills. If they were in charge of investigating this cave, they would probably fail miserably and be ambushed by any enemy inside.
So, without much hesitation, they decided to let him take the stage. "I will cast a few spells for scouting purposes and act as the vanguard. Neia, you follow me at the front and you guys cover my flanks. You two will be in charge of the torches, so..."
Lord Azazel organized the paladins, so they would walk in a formation that left no blind spot for them to get ambushed by, while he could scout ahead and had a solid line-up to fall back to. Although she should have felt indignant to be at the front to scout with him, she instead felt at ease and protected since she wouldn't be walking into this cave by her lonesome like she would have expected to do if Lord Azazel hadn't taken a liken to her.
He started to cast several spells by throwing scrolls into the air, causing them to burn up and magic to take effect. She didn't know what kind of scrolls they were, but they certainly felt and looked powerful. At that point, she almost wanted to lament the fact that they were using up these apparently expensive items if the gasp of the few paladins were anything to go by. After using up these scrolls, the adventuring paladin spearheaded the operation into the cave while she followed closely behind.
With steady feet, they entered the darkness caused by the cave. They had lit up their torches, but the light was consumed by the cave, at least initially. After several steps, they discovered whatever had covered the entrance of the cave wasn't casting the entire cave into darkness. Of course, as a cave, it was still dark, but the torches were able to illuminate the immediate surroundings.
They walked for a few minutes, but nothing of interest showed up, wasting all their readiness for combat. It wasn't different from other caves Neia had been inside, but the strange appearance of the dark entrance had introduced an unsettling note to this otherwise normal cave.
A dozen minutes later, they seemingly entered the end of the cave. There were no bones or bodies like Neia had suspected for a lair of some demi-humans, beasts, or even demons, so she breathed a bit easier when it didn't appear to be a lair of any kind. Perhaps some magic stuff that she was unable to understand caused the phenomena at the entrance.
The paladin arrived shortly afterward and just as she relaxed, a sudden glow appeared below their feet. Strange sigils that formed what appeared to be a magic rune were activated. It didn't take her even a second to realize that they had stepped into a magical trap. The light grew before it was so blinding that she had to close her eyes.
However, as quickly as the light had appeared, it also vanished just as fast. She opened her eyes and found herself still inside a cave, a slightly different one with more moss on the walls. Fortunately, she was still with her group and the calm demeanor of their leader caused the others to calm down as well.
Lord Azazel glanced around vigilantly before he walked through the only exit of this cave hall. The paladins followed him, not wanting to be left behind. "Where are we?" A paladin asked though Neia wondered how Lord Azazel would know the answer to such a question.
"It doesn't matter. Our spells will run out soon, so let's stick around and try to reach the surface, we will see from there." He announced and that was really the only option they had. They couldn't wait in the cave for them to be teleported back, could they? "Follow closely, we don't know what is going to expect us."
Neia could hear the strain on the leather of their gloves as they tightened their grip around their equipment. They were supposed to cull the numbers of demi-humans. They hadn't signed up for entering magical caves and being teleported who knew where. Of course, the paladins that were given the mission weren't the most elite, but they were experienced and had already fought numerous times in situations that looked more dire than this one.
They weren't panicking or breaking down at the prospect of the teleportation even if they were anxious or scared. As the veterans they were, they soldiered on behind the large back that seemed to be casting a protective aura around them. We walked through the cave tunnels without resistance, not unlike the walk-in.
It didn't take them too long until they finally arrived at the exit with greeneries on the other side. Lord Azazel stepped outside, looking around for any danger as the paladins followed out into the open. Their weapons were raised, ready to hack at any offending assailant, but nothing happened.
Neia's hand grew tired as well, so she loosened the grip on the bowstrings, while she observed the rustling leaves through the winds, the lack of trails leading to the caves, or any other marks that would indicate something using this as a shelter. They might have just gotten lucky in their unlucky situation, she mused internally.
Like herself, the paladins permitted themselves to relax a bit, to ease their tense nerves. Lord Azazel gave a few orders in a quiet tone, just in case someone or something was listening for anyone in these woods. Just as they were about to fan out and secure the surroundings, they heard subdued voices coming from just a couple of hundred meters away.
The atmosphere grew tense again. Lord Azazel put a finger on his mouth, telling them to be quiet before he pointed at several places where they could ambush anyone that would come close to the cave. "Neia and I will check out who or what they are. Prepare yourself in case we need to fall back." Lord Azazel said in a calm tone and despite not opening his mouth, his voice reached them regardless of distance.
Neia suspected it was another spell that he had learned from his wife, so they could coordinate during their quests better and quietly. It certainly was a useful spell. She followed after him as quietly as she could, using the skills she had accumulated throughout the years of hunting to the best of her abilities.
Despite her experience, she felt like she was completely new to this. Of the two she felt clumsy. The way he moved was graceful and efficient like a natural-born hunter. To not mess up was clearly on her. Even though she was confident that they would manage even if they were discovered, she didn't want to be the reason they had to confront whoever was in these woods head-on.
So, with bated breath, she followed the Orichalcum adventurer enter a field with distinct glowing flowers occasionally decorating the forest's ground. It didn't take long until they were able to see whoever they heard. It was a boy around her age digging up the plants and carefully putting them inside his bag. A maid who reminded her of Lord Azazel's maids stood close by, observing the surroundings as if to guard him.
"I know you are there! Come out now and I'll give you a quick death." She suddenly threatened with a chirpy tone as her hand drifted to the giant weapon on her back. It was an imposing black and silver scepter or spear that looked frankly too big and heavy for her to wield.
Despite the unconventional weapon or maybe because of it, she knew that she wouldn't be able to deal with this woman. Her threat and the tone she used had sent a chill down her spine and she didn't want to imagine what would happen if they were caught after ignoring her. She was sure they would experience torture unimaginable to her.
Although a quick death was always better than a death introduced through torture, she just hoped they could escape. Her first instinct was to retreat to her group and combat her together, though Lord Azazel had a different opinion. Without saying anything he stepped out of the cover of the tree they had hidden behind.
"Lupus?" He asked rather astonished and his voice was filled with disbelief. The maid now identified as Lupus froze at his voice. She looked over and her eyes widened. Neia was sure that she was initially excited or happy to see Lord Azazel, but for some reason, her expression morphed into guilt.
The maid gulped nervously before kneeling with a pale face and shivering hands. "Y-your Highness! I-I have committed a great sin- I'm not... P-please take my life, it's the only thing I can give you as an apology!" She stuttered as she begged for death. It was like she didn't fear death but offending Lord Azazel or perhaps she just couldn't accept the fact that she had threatened someone she had sworn fealty to.
At least, the latter was her guess. There had been countless rumors of Lord Azazel's high status in his country. The sight of this beautiful kneeling woman confirmed this. Neia wasn't surprised instead she just felt that this was how it was supposed to be. Her heart calmed down with the maid's submissive display, now not fearing her death, she could just observe the two.
Her gaze flickered to the boy that seemed shocked at the genuflecting maid and for a moment she wondered why he wasn't kneeling. He looked like a farmer's boy and seemed familiar with the maid, so he too should know who Lord Azazel was, right? Weren't they in Lord Azazel's home country?
Lord Azazel stepped forward and helped up the red-haired beauty. "Don't kneel. You are currently not in my service, so you shouldn't be too formal. And I don't take your words to heart. You were just doing your job and were diligent enough to notice me. Instead of punishing you, I should reward you, don't you think?" He said as he lifted the maid's chin, so she would look him in the eyes as he gave her a charming smile.
It even caused her to blush and she wasn't the one that the smile was aimed at. It had the expected result when the maid turned red almost to the shade of her hair. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"You must be Lord Azazel." The boy suddenly spoke as he looked up at her Lord. She didn't like the way he looked at him. There was jealousy in his gaze and some unwillingness? "Enri had mentioned you frequently, my name is-" Before he could finish his introduction, the glare that the red-haired maid gave him, cut him off and caused him to shriek.
"Lupus, don't be too harsh on him." Lord Azazel chuckled slightly as he patted her head before turning to the boy. "Nfirea Bareare. I have heard of you. Potion Maker, right?" He asked, making the boy nod surprised. Just as they could continue their conversation, behind them the paladins approached them.
"We are currently on a mission and were accidentally teleported here, wherever we are. Though considering that you two are here, I suspect we are near the Carne Village?" Lord Azazel asked as the paladins were in earshot. He didn't seem surprised about their arrival, perhaps he had called them.
"Indeed, we are inside the Great Forest of Tob to pick up some herbs for my potions." Nfirea helpfully explained, which made her realize that they were near E-Rantel. This would mean that they had crossed the demi-human-infested Abelion Hills to arrive inside the borders of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
The others caught on quickly at the implication. They would have a long way back home and currently, they didn't have any supplies with them as they left most of it with the horses. "I see, then I hope the village can accommodate us for now. We have to plan our next approach and need a place to rest." Lord Azazel spoke and she couldn't agree more.
Although they hadn't fought a battle like they had planned to do, they had been travelling for over half a day already. Now they were faced with a new array of issues. They were unsure how they would get back, and what the exact situation was of hostiles in these areas. She too had only heard of this forest, but beyond that, she wasn't aware of the local ruling beasts or tribes. It would do well for some place to relax, think about the next steps, and get some information.
"Of course, I will lead you to the village." Lupus eagerly announced before pointing in a direction. "It is just a few hundred meters away from here. We can arrive in just a dozen minutes if we head out now."
"Then let us help you pick your herbs and we can head there together." Lord Azazel said as he knelt to dig out a plant. "It's these ones, right?" He asked Nfirea, who looked shocked that he would help him. Silly boy, didn't he know who Lord Azazel was? He was known for his willingness to help others!
Nfirea nodded a bit absentmindedly before going to work and getting his plants. The paladins smiled wryly as they would rather just head to the village, but getting into the ire of the locals wasn't something they could afford. So without much fanfare, they started to help locate the plant, though they didn't dare to attempt to pick them as they were sure to destroy them. After a few more minutes they picked the place clean and then headed for the village.
Neia watched as Lupus tried to make subtle skin contact with Lord Azazel as they walked side-by-side. It was almost like she had completely forgotten about the boy she had protected before and her mishap after being pardoned. She was now just trying to get closer to Lord Azazel. She couldn't blame the woman but it felt rather sacrilegious to flirt with him this brazenly. Not to mention the fact, she seemed to take his mercy for granted.
She made her displeasure known with a click of her tongue, gaining the attention of the maid. "Anything to add, mean-eye?" Lupus asked in a sweet and bubbly voice, though her voice infuriated Neia.
"Just thought it was unbecoming to try and get closer to Lord Azazel despite him clearly having no interest."
"Oh?" The woman smiled widely. "What makes you think he isn't interested? We go way back and he told me he doesn't mind being this close, or are you just jealous? Hmm?"
She couldn't help but snort at her questions. "He is obviously just too polite to say no. If he truly was interested he would approach you and not the other way around. Besides wouldn't you be by his side in the Holy Kingdom if he wanted you around? You are obviously a maid, but it seemed like he doesn't need you."
"You!" Lupus spat out with venom as her expression morphed into anger and for a moment Neia imagined that the maid would pounce at her and rip her throat out with her teeth. It brought her back to reality, making her wonder where she had found the courage to tell this woman her opinion. It was almost like she was emboldened by his affection and aura. Was this an aftereffect of being able to serve him the previous night?
"Enough. You two get along." Lord Azazel ordered, making the maid's expression turn back to neutral like an obedient dog. It almost looked like she was able to read Neia's mind as she shot her a look.
Neia just nodded and discontinued to antagonize the other woman as they continued on their path toward the village. It took them as long as Lupus had mentioned it would take before they saw a rather tall and sturdy wall. If she didn't know that they weren't inside the Holy Kingdom, she would have guessed that they had arrived at a village that was frequently dealing with demi-humans.
At first, the village was a bit panicky and distrustful toward them, but when they noticed Lord Azazel as well as Lupus and Nfirea among them, they let us in without much hesitation. From the whispers and excitement, she gathered that Lord Azazel and the village had a bit of history.
It seemed like he had saved the village from soldiers of the Slane Theocracy with a companion of his, Lord Ainz. There were also questions about Lady Albedo, who apparently was Lord Azazel's wife. This point confused her for a moment and at first they were talking about Lady Fubuki, though it seemed that it was someone else as this Lady Albedo possessed great physical prowess instead of the magical abilities that Fubuki was known for.
Did Lord Azazel have more than one wife? She tried her best not to think too much about it and just stood to the side as Lord Azazel entertained the masses. Taking this moment of isolation, she was approached by Lupus, who had regained her friendly smile, which had to be fake.
"Hello. It seemed like we got off on the wrong foot. It sounded like you have gotten some insight into his highness." Lupus started, making her glare at her, which seemed to amuse the woman. A reaction she rarely got as all seemed to think I would give them a hateful gaze. "Don't worry. If you knew him, you would realize that he has enough love to give to anyone-"
"Indeed." She cut her off. "And I know that you ought to worship him and not throw yourself at him like a whore. He is a holy man that requires humility and respect, not something that you can just lust after. You mustn't think about what he can give you but what you can give to him. If you don't get that, you don't deserve his love." She spat out something that had been on her mind since the moment he offered his help to her.
This visibly stunned the redhead. Lupus blinked a couple of times before she lowered her head. "You are right... I apologize." Without another word, she walked away and for some reason, Neia had the feeling she had not only escaped death but ranked up in a hierarchy that she didn't know existed.
Neia carefully touched her lips as she remembered the previous day or at least she hoped it hadn't been just a naughty dream she had conjured up from her depraved mind. Her fingertips gently brushed over her slightly wet lips, carefully imagining the moment they kissed his skin as she wrapped them around his shaft.
The moment it entered her mouth into her throat. Her hand drifted to her throat as she gulped. The way her throat constricted and then relaxed as her hand rested on her throat threw her back to the way she struggled with his mighty tool, swallowing around it almost painfully. It was a fantasy straight out of her masturbation session that she had reveled in for multiple nights already.
She tried to rebuild the taste in her mind, but her imagination was unable to replicate it. The taste was like a forbidden truth unable to be grasped, something that shouldn't be and something that would resolve all of her troubles and problems, real or imagined. Just trying to replicate what had happened, the scent, the taste, the hand resting on her head as he pushed her down his cock, forcing her to milk him with her mouth...
She had hoped for this to happen, for him to force himself onto her, to force her to give up on her dream and serve him instead. A fantasy that might come true if she said the words; if she pleaded with him to take her in. She was sure it was an opportunity many women would kill for, something that was just unattainable to the vast majority of her betters and here she was hesitating.
If she didn't take this opportunity now then it might be lost forever. The thought struck her deeply and she couldn't help but be swayed by the idea. It hadn't been the first time she had thought of giving up everything she had worked for and instead, to chase after her feelings. Even her mother had confessed that the feelings as her mother and as a wife were almost too strong at times, so no one could really blame her for thinking like this, right?
Her mother had compromised on many things to stay with her and raise her. Something that had been incredibly hard on her as her conviction and sense of duty as a paladin had always been steadfast in any other scenario.
Now she too was swayed by feelings, by the love she felt for a stranger that decided to reach a hand to her and pull her out of her misery and show her the way to happiness. Perhaps he didn't even realize what his action did to her. How his affection rattled her. Even now, her heart skipped as he patted her head and smiled so gently at her.
His mighty hand that could cover her entire face rested gently on her head, giving her a soothing and warm feeling as she just tried to endure. It even dispelled the anxiety that was created by the few women among the paladins shooting glares at her for the treatment. However, Lord Azazel didn't seem to realize their gazes and until now she had been the only one that received this privilege of getting close to him. Something she knew she didn't deserve.
In a daze, she started to prepare the horses as was expected of her, though she was quickly interrupted by a paladin, who just said that he would take this task off her hands. She just nodded. Of course, she knew this had to be because of the relative closeness Lord Azazel was showing her.
She wanted to thank him for this positive turn of events, but she realized not all changes were all that good. Not to mention, the obvious jealousy of the women, there was a glint in a few of the men's eyes, telling her they were planning something. Her gaze had always been sharp and as an outcast, she spend more time observing people from further away than interacting with them.
Through this, she had picked up some skills that allowed her to assess certain signs of danger and even if it was hard to accuse her fellow paladins, some of them meant trouble. Not the kind of killing your group as traitors to humanity kind of trouble, but the kind of spreading rumors and smearing your reputation trouble.
It was to be expected as there were already whispers among them, though most couldn't really believe it. Even the usual mellow Roland had asked her if there was something between her and Lord Azazel, which she resolutely declined.
That being said, she still had to go to Lord Azazel and inform him of the turn of events. She didn't want him to get blindsided by this when he had been nothing but good to her. Although it wasn't even beginning to pay back for the help he offered, she had to start somewhere, right?
After a morning of preparation was done, they started their journey again through the forest. For half a day, they experienced no trouble except for some false alarms triggered by some animals. They were already getting close to the ruins, the destination of their little trip less than a few hours away, when they came across a suspicious-looking cave.
A cave that shouldn't exist on the path they had taken. There was something weird and dare she say, sinister about it, especially since they couldn't peek into the cave. The entrance seemed to swallow all light, making it impossible to glean anything from it. This mission was only to eliminate a group of demi-humans and not some randomly appearing cave, but it wasn't easy for the paladins to ignore something potentially evil- not if it appeared blatantly in front of them.
"We should investigate it. Perhaps it is a faulty illusion spell for a demi-human camp, which broke for some reason." Lord Azazel speculated as he walked out of the carriage and scrutinized the cave from afar before deciding to approach it.
Roland tried to convince him to stay on the carriage to no avail. From what she had seen in the short period of time they had spent together, Lord Azazel was rarely and not easily swayed by others, even or maybe especially if the reasoning involved his well-being.
The confidence and stubbornness of a high-ranking adventurer shouldn't be underestimated as neither should their skills. It was clear that he could handle himself. However, she shared Roland's concern for Lord Azazel's safety, though for other reasons than the paladin.
"We can not continue our journey without investigating it at least for a bit, just to make sure it isn't to any danger for us or any passerby. I don't want to have an unknown risk in my back when we deal with the demi-humans. It would make a retreat risky and the chance of winning a two-pronged attack would be low." He reasoned and his thoughts were easy to digest and agreed with.
If his conjecture was correct, it would be disastrous if it was truly a demi-human camp that decided to aid their fellow people once they started their attack. However, it was also a fact that many adventurers died tragically because they challenged something they shouldn't have. Usually, this would of course only apply to lower-ranked adventurers, but this cave looked like trouble. Unknown trouble at that.
Roland looked around at the paladins, whose expressions hardened after they listened to Lord Azazel's words. They would need to make sure this unknown cave wasn't a hidden danger to them, especially since it was rather close to where they might battle the demi-humans. After getting their opinions through the lack of verbal opposition, he started to direct a few paladins to secure the surroundings before ordering some others to prepare to scout the place.
It was at that moment Lord Azazel stepped forward again. "That won't be necessary." He stated, oozing confidence and reassurance. "As an adventurer, I have more experience dealing with unknown places, so I will take the lead on this one." There was no room for discussion and everyone could feel he wouldn't take a no for an answer.
To be fair, since he was a two-party team, he ought to have picked up some scouting skills, which made him the most qualified to find out what this cave held. Besides, paladins weren't known for their exceptional scouting skills. If they were in charge of investigating this cave, they would probably fail miserably and be ambushed by any enemy inside.
So, without much hesitation, they decided to let him take the stage. "I will cast a few spells for scouting purposes and act as the vanguard. Neia, you follow me at the front and you guys cover my flanks. You two will be in charge of the torches, so..."
Lord Azazel organized the paladins, so they would walk in a formation that left no blind spot for them to get ambushed by, while he could scout ahead and had a solid line-up to fall back to. Although she should have felt indignant to be at the front to scout with him, she instead felt at ease and protected since she wouldn't be walking into this cave by her lonesome like she would have expected to do if Lord Azazel hadn't taken a liken to her.
He started to cast several spells by throwing scrolls into the air, causing them to burn up and magic to take effect. She didn't know what kind of scrolls they were, but they certainly felt and looked powerful. At that point, she almost wanted to lament the fact that they were using up these apparently expensive items if the gasp of the few paladins were anything to go by. After using up these scrolls, the adventuring paladin spearheaded the operation into the cave while she followed closely behind.
With steady feet, they entered the darkness caused by the cave. They had lit up their torches, but the light was consumed by the cave, at least initially. After several steps, they discovered whatever had covered the entrance of the cave wasn't casting the entire cave into darkness. Of course, as a cave, it was still dark, but the torches were able to illuminate the immediate surroundings.
They walked for a few minutes, but nothing of interest showed up, wasting all their readiness for combat. It wasn't different from other caves Neia had been inside, but the strange appearance of the dark entrance had introduced an unsettling note to this otherwise normal cave.
A dozen minutes later, they seemingly entered the end of the cave. There were no bones or bodies like Neia had suspected for a lair of some demi-humans, beasts, or even demons, so she breathed a bit easier when it didn't appear to be a lair of any kind. Perhaps some magic stuff that she was unable to understand caused the phenomena at the entrance.
The paladin arrived shortly afterward and just as she relaxed, a sudden glow appeared below their feet. Strange sigils that formed what appeared to be a magic rune were activated. It didn't take her even a second to realize that they had stepped into a magical trap. The light grew before it was so blinding that she had to close her eyes.
However, as quickly as the light had appeared, it also vanished just as fast. She opened her eyes and found herself still inside a cave, a slightly different one with more moss on the walls. Fortunately, she was still with her group and the calm demeanor of their leader caused the others to calm down as well.
Lord Azazel glanced around vigilantly before he walked through the only exit of this cave hall. The paladins followed him, not wanting to be left behind. "Where are we?" A paladin asked though Neia wondered how Lord Azazel would know the answer to such a question.
"It doesn't matter. Our spells will run out soon, so let's stick around and try to reach the surface, we will see from there." He announced and that was really the only option they had. They couldn't wait in the cave for them to be teleported back, could they? "Follow closely, we don't know what is going to expect us."
Neia could hear the strain on the leather of their gloves as they tightened their grip around their equipment. They were supposed to cull the numbers of demi-humans. They hadn't signed up for entering magical caves and being teleported who knew where. Of course, the paladins that were given the mission weren't the most elite, but they were experienced and had already fought numerous times in situations that looked more dire than this one.
They weren't panicking or breaking down at the prospect of the teleportation even if they were anxious or scared. As the veterans they were, they soldiered on behind the large back that seemed to be casting a protective aura around them. We walked through the cave tunnels without resistance, not unlike the walk-in.
It didn't take them too long until they finally arrived at the exit with greeneries on the other side. Lord Azazel stepped outside, looking around for any danger as the paladins followed out into the open. Their weapons were raised, ready to hack at any offending assailant, but nothing happened.
Neia's hand grew tired as well, so she loosened the grip on the bowstrings, while she observed the rustling leaves through the winds, the lack of trails leading to the caves, or any other marks that would indicate something using this as a shelter. They might have just gotten lucky in their unlucky situation, she mused internally.
Like herself, the paladins permitted themselves to relax a bit, to ease their tense nerves. Lord Azazel gave a few orders in a quiet tone, just in case someone or something was listening for anyone in these woods. Just as they were about to fan out and secure the surroundings, they heard subdued voices coming from just a couple of hundred meters away.
The atmosphere grew tense again. Lord Azazel put a finger on his mouth, telling them to be quiet before he pointed at several places where they could ambush anyone that would come close to the cave. "Neia and I will check out who or what they are. Prepare yourself in case we need to fall back." Lord Azazel said in a calm tone and despite not opening his mouth, his voice reached them regardless of distance.
Neia suspected it was another spell that he had learned from his wife, so they could coordinate during their quests better and quietly. It certainly was a useful spell. She followed after him as quietly as she could, using the skills she had accumulated throughout the years of hunting to the best of her abilities.
Despite her experience, she felt like she was completely new to this. Of the two she felt clumsy. The way he moved was graceful and efficient like a natural-born hunter. To not mess up was clearly on her. Even though she was confident that they would manage even if they were discovered, she didn't want to be the reason they had to confront whoever was in these woods head-on.
So, with bated breath, she followed the Orichalcum adventurer enter a field with distinct glowing flowers occasionally decorating the forest's ground. It didn't take long until they were able to see whoever they heard. It was a boy around her age digging up the plants and carefully putting them inside his bag. A maid who reminded her of Lord Azazel's maids stood close by, observing the surroundings as if to guard him.
"I know you are there! Come out now and I'll give you a quick death." She suddenly threatened with a chirpy tone as her hand drifted to the giant weapon on her back. It was an imposing black and silver scepter or spear that looked frankly too big and heavy for her to wield.
Despite the unconventional weapon or maybe because of it, she knew that she wouldn't be able to deal with this woman. Her threat and the tone she used had sent a chill down her spine and she didn't want to imagine what would happen if they were caught after ignoring her. She was sure they would experience torture unimaginable to her.
Although a quick death was always better than a death introduced through torture, she just hoped they could escape. Her first instinct was to retreat to her group and combat her together, though Lord Azazel had a different opinion. Without saying anything he stepped out of the cover of the tree they had hidden behind.
"Lupus?" He asked rather astonished and his voice was filled with disbelief. The maid now identified as Lupus froze at his voice. She looked over and her eyes widened. Neia was sure that she was initially excited or happy to see Lord Azazel, but for some reason, her expression morphed into guilt.
The maid gulped nervously before kneeling with a pale face and shivering hands. "Y-your Highness! I-I have committed a great sin- I'm not... P-please take my life, it's the only thing I can give you as an apology!" She stuttered as she begged for death. It was like she didn't fear death but offending Lord Azazel or perhaps she just couldn't accept the fact that she had threatened someone she had sworn fealty to.
At least, the latter was her guess. There had been countless rumors of Lord Azazel's high status in his country. The sight of this beautiful kneeling woman confirmed this. Neia wasn't surprised instead she just felt that this was how it was supposed to be. Her heart calmed down with the maid's submissive display, now not fearing her death, she could just observe the two.
Her gaze flickered to the boy that seemed shocked at the genuflecting maid and for a moment she wondered why he wasn't kneeling. He looked like a farmer's boy and seemed familiar with the maid, so he too should know who Lord Azazel was, right? Weren't they in Lord Azazel's home country?
Lord Azazel stepped forward and helped up the red-haired beauty. "Don't kneel. You are currently not in my service, so you shouldn't be too formal. And I don't take your words to heart. You were just doing your job and were diligent enough to notice me. Instead of punishing you, I should reward you, don't you think?" He said as he lifted the maid's chin, so she would look him in the eyes as he gave her a charming smile.
It even caused her to blush and she wasn't the one that the smile was aimed at. It had the expected result when the maid turned red almost to the shade of her hair. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"You must be Lord Azazel." The boy suddenly spoke as he looked up at her Lord. She didn't like the way he looked at him. There was jealousy in his gaze and some unwillingness? "Enri had mentioned you frequently, my name is-" Before he could finish his introduction, the glare that the red-haired maid gave him, cut him off and caused him to shriek.
"Lupus, don't be too harsh on him." Lord Azazel chuckled slightly as he patted her head before turning to the boy. "Nfirea Bareare. I have heard of you. Potion Maker, right?" He asked, making the boy nod surprised. Just as they could continue their conversation, behind them the paladins approached them.
"We are currently on a mission and were accidentally teleported here, wherever we are. Though considering that you two are here, I suspect we are near the Carne Village?" Lord Azazel asked as the paladins were in earshot. He didn't seem surprised about their arrival, perhaps he had called them.
"Indeed, we are inside the Great Forest of Tob to pick up some herbs for my potions." Nfirea helpfully explained, which made her realize that they were near E-Rantel. This would mean that they had crossed the demi-human-infested Abelion Hills to arrive inside the borders of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
The others caught on quickly at the implication. They would have a long way back home and currently, they didn't have any supplies with them as they left most of it with the horses. "I see, then I hope the village can accommodate us for now. We have to plan our next approach and need a place to rest." Lord Azazel spoke and she couldn't agree more.
Although they hadn't fought a battle like they had planned to do, they had been travelling for over half a day already. Now they were faced with a new array of issues. They were unsure how they would get back, and what the exact situation was of hostiles in these areas. She too had only heard of this forest, but beyond that, she wasn't aware of the local ruling beasts or tribes. It would do well for some place to relax, think about the next steps, and get some information.
"Of course, I will lead you to the village." Lupus eagerly announced before pointing in a direction. "It is just a few hundred meters away from here. We can arrive in just a dozen minutes if we head out now."
"Then let us help you pick your herbs and we can head there together." Lord Azazel said as he knelt to dig out a plant. "It's these ones, right?" He asked Nfirea, who looked shocked that he would help him. Silly boy, didn't he know who Lord Azazel was? He was known for his willingness to help others!
Nfirea nodded a bit absentmindedly before going to work and getting his plants. The paladins smiled wryly as they would rather just head to the village, but getting into the ire of the locals wasn't something they could afford. So without much fanfare, they started to help locate the plant, though they didn't dare to attempt to pick them as they were sure to destroy them. After a few more minutes they picked the place clean and then headed for the village.
Neia watched as Lupus tried to make subtle skin contact with Lord Azazel as they walked side-by-side. It was almost like she had completely forgotten about the boy she had protected before and her mishap after being pardoned. She was now just trying to get closer to Lord Azazel. She couldn't blame the woman but it felt rather sacrilegious to flirt with him this brazenly. Not to mention the fact, she seemed to take his mercy for granted.
She made her displeasure known with a click of her tongue, gaining the attention of the maid. "Anything to add, mean-eye?" Lupus asked in a sweet and bubbly voice, though her voice infuriated Neia.
"Just thought it was unbecoming to try and get closer to Lord Azazel despite him clearly having no interest."
"Oh?" The woman smiled widely. "What makes you think he isn't interested? We go way back and he told me he doesn't mind being this close, or are you just jealous? Hmm?"
She couldn't help but snort at her questions. "He is obviously just too polite to say no. If he truly was interested he would approach you and not the other way around. Besides wouldn't you be by his side in the Holy Kingdom if he wanted you around? You are obviously a maid, but it seemed like he doesn't need you."
"You!" Lupus spat out with venom as her expression morphed into anger and for a moment Neia imagined that the maid would pounce at her and rip her throat out with her teeth. It brought her back to reality, making her wonder where she had found the courage to tell this woman her opinion. It was almost like she was emboldened by his affection and aura. Was this an aftereffect of being able to serve him the previous night?
"Enough. You two get along." Lord Azazel ordered, making the maid's expression turn back to neutral like an obedient dog. It almost looked like she was able to read Neia's mind as she shot her a look.
Neia just nodded and discontinued to antagonize the other woman as they continued on their path toward the village. It took them as long as Lupus had mentioned it would take before they saw a rather tall and sturdy wall. If she didn't know that they weren't inside the Holy Kingdom, she would have guessed that they had arrived at a village that was frequently dealing with demi-humans.
At first, the village was a bit panicky and distrustful toward them, but when they noticed Lord Azazel as well as Lupus and Nfirea among them, they let us in without much hesitation. From the whispers and excitement, she gathered that Lord Azazel and the village had a bit of history.
It seemed like he had saved the village from soldiers of the Slane Theocracy with a companion of his, Lord Ainz. There were also questions about Lady Albedo, who apparently was Lord Azazel's wife. This point confused her for a moment and at first they were talking about Lady Fubuki, though it seemed that it was someone else as this Lady Albedo possessed great physical prowess instead of the magical abilities that Fubuki was known for.
Did Lord Azazel have more than one wife? She tried her best not to think too much about it and just stood to the side as Lord Azazel entertained the masses. Taking this moment of isolation, she was approached by Lupus, who had regained her friendly smile, which had to be fake.
"Hello. It seemed like we got off on the wrong foot. It sounded like you have gotten some insight into his highness." Lupus started, making her glare at her, which seemed to amuse the woman. A reaction she rarely got as all seemed to think I would give them a hateful gaze. "Don't worry. If you knew him, you would realize that he has enough love to give to anyone-"
"Indeed." She cut her off. "And I know that you ought to worship him and not throw yourself at him like a whore. He is a holy man that requires humility and respect, not something that you can just lust after. You mustn't think about what he can give you but what you can give to him. If you don't get that, you don't deserve his love." She spat out something that had been on her mind since the moment he offered his help to her.
This visibly stunned the redhead. Lupus blinked a couple of times before she lowered her head. "You are right... I apologize." Without another word, she walked away and for some reason, Neia had the feeling she had not only escaped death but ranked up in a hierarchy that she didn't know existed.
