As a princess famed for my cold logic and unparalleled reasoning as much as my modesty, I’d envisaged a thousand and one scenarios regarding what horrors to expect at a destination labelled a hole into the abyss.
No matter what hideous creatures gathered from the darkness below or felled from black clouds, my kingdom could rest in the knowledge that I had a contingency for each and every scenario.
Naturally, the nature of this means that I cannot divulge exactly what that response would be, as offering it would jeopardise its very effectiveness. And now that the darkness at the depths of my kingdom was revealed, my stratagems would have to remain locked in a puzzle box of secrecy.
Because, as it turned out–
What appeared at the bottom of the hole was the 1,002nd scenario.
Of all the disappointments I expected to see at the bottom of a hole, a bright yellow tent wasn’t one of them.
“Very well,” I said to my loyal handmaiden, as we duly stared down at the little yellow tent in its somewhat cute little enclosure. “I shall offer my congratulations to the evil of Stermondt. It has managed to utterly blindside me.”
“I like it~” replied Coppelia, leaning forwards as she looked to and fro. “If we ever get a tent of our own in the bottom of a hole, we should also make it yellow. It really stands out.”
I briefly turned Starlight Grace away, smothering the hole within a hole with total darkness once again.
Surprisingly, the tent remained lit for several moments.
I nodded.
Yellow it is, then.
“Coppelia … do you have any inkling on why a tent would be pitched in the bottom of a mine, lacking in soft grass, coursing water, natural lighting and any amenities whatsoever?”
“It has shelter. That’s important.”
“Yes, I suppose it truly is immune from the elements down here. The famed raging tornadoes of my kingdom will not damage this tent.”
“Does your kingdom have raging tornadoes?”
“No.”
“Aww. Well, I don’t know why it’s here, but I do know what’s here. Sort of. It’s evil.”
“True. Tents are representative of a wayfarer’s lifestyle which has no place in any civilised nation.”
“No, I mean what’s inside it. It’s an evil presence. And by that, I mean classic evil. The type you only get from something literally made of evil. And that means there’s probably something super strong in that yellow tent.”
I prepared my finest scowl in advance.
Acknowledgements were in order. Anything which preemptively earned my brows creasing more than 15 degrees was an irritant worthy of commendation.
Just before I removed it, of course.
“Clearly, it’s no beast dredged from below residing in a tent. A mage, perhaps?”
“Hmmmm. An evil mage with enthrallment spells. I can think of at least a dozen things with that kind of power. Most of them undead. Or trying to be undead.”
“Excellent. Then we may have no qualms about conducting a surprise attack utterly devoid of chivalry or fairness.”
“... Eh? Is attacking with chivalry or fairness an option, then?”
“No. But I enjoy the rare bonus of a justification.”
Coppelia giggled in agreement.
After all, few things were more satisfying than taunting a fallen foe with the veneer of pretext. The thinner, the better.
“You know, it could be anything inside that tent. Aren’t you worried if a lich comes out, rubbing their eye sockets after you wake them up?”
“No. Because not only do I have no intention of permitting them to wake up, I see little reason why a lich should concern me.”
“Well, liches are indisputably the most powerful type of undead. They have necromatic spellcasting, a life draining touch, functional immortality and dark empowered armour.”
“They’re also undead.”
“I mean, that’s usually a bonus in their favour too.”
I raised my hand to my lips and smiled.
“Ohohoho … please, that only means they’ve already died once. In which case, they can simply die again.”
“Uwaaah~ it’s totally going to be a lich.”
“Please, Coppelia. It’s a yellow tent. What could possibly be hiding in it that’s scary?”
“Probably something that needs a holy ward keeping it in.”
My querying look was answered by Coppelia leaning forwards. She jabbed at something unseen before her.
“There’s one here,” she explained. “Discreet. And therefore super powerful.”
I blinked, then narrowed my eyes as I peered ahead at the nothingness highlighted by my sword.
“What? A holy ward? Are you certain?”
“Coppelia Vision~”
Her short response was all the confirmation I required.
While I had reservations about Coppelia’s ability to make a béchamel sauce, I would never doubt her excellent vision. Or her talent for making me slightly more confused than I was a few seconds ago at any moment of her choosing.
“I see. So whatever undead horror is within the tent is already sealed?”
“I dunno. Evil undead things bent on world domination usually get their own tower. A fancy one too. I’ve never heard of one being sealed in a tent.”
“An ignominious way to have one’s ambitions curtailed. And yet I feel as though being already sealed would be topical information amongst the peasantry.”
“Hmm … it could’ve been done recently, secretly, or whoever did it perished in the process. It’s one of those three. Take your pick.”
I leaned in, continuing to spy for a hint of magic which my eyes failed to see.
Yet for what I lacked in clockwork vision, I gained in royal intuition. And that meant considerably more than three choices on any given menu.
“I choose the option where the holy ward has failed altogether.”
“No, wait, it’s definitely here.”
“A half-measure. The enthrallment effect still persists on the miners. And the evil which halts the mining operations still persists. Whatever this seal is, it is woefully inadequate. We’ve only one option remaining to us. The evil must be destroyed.”
Coppelia nodded, all the while pumping her fist in the air.
“Yay, we’re gonna break a holy seal imprisoning an unspecified evil thing, then watch as it all goes horribly wrong!~”
“Firstly, nothing is going to go wrong … or at least horribly wrong. Secondly, I have no reason to break the holy seal.”
“Eh?”
“I shall simply walk through it instead.”
My loyal handmaiden gave me a querying tilt of her head. She wore a rare expression of complete puzzlement. And perhaps slight concern.
Both well-founded, of course.
After all, holy wards were hardly the sort of instruments which people could stroll through like a public orchard which most certainly wasn’t mine. But I was a princess. And I was righteous.
Nothing with holy designs would seek to block my path.
“Ohohohoho … rest assured that I’m utterly immune to the effects of holy magic. That I have no respect for the Holy Church doesn’t deter from the fact that I’m still a favoured child with a soul as pure as spring water.”
I took a step forwards.
At the same time, Coppelia took a step back. And then more back. And then more back again.
I directed my smile at her.
“Coppelia?”
“Don’t mind me. Just keeping distance. You know, in case my less pure spirit rubs off on you.”
“Oh, I see.” I nodded before taking another step forwards. “True. You did drink from a basin of holy water as your latest misdemeanour against the Holy Church. No doubt an entire cloister of sisters have prayed menacingly about you by now. It’s only prudent to remain back if you cannot harmlessly bypass holy seals like I … hmm?”
I winced as I bumped into something very hard.
Confused, I rubbed the tip of my nose.
Pow!
“–Hiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!!!!”
A moment later, I found myself experiencing life as a fruit slime, punted backwards at breathtaking speed as I was violently ejected into the air.
The world blurred as I took to my role as a shooting star, my sword leaving a trail of light until I found myself being cushioned by Coppelia’s waiting arms once again.
“I’m not laughing,” said Coppelia, her lips tightly pursed. “I’m definitely not laughing.”
My eyes blinked several times.
Above me, Coppelia’s face wrinkled with iron discipline.
Thoroughly confused, I puzzled over why a seal consisting of holy magic would reject someone of my undiluted purity of spirit to pass through.
Eventually, I slowly detached myself from Coppelia and stared at the golden silhouette before me. A bubble now clearly visible in Starlight Grace’s light, shimmering with a gleam as wondrous as a rainbow over a waterfall.
And then–
My smile returned in full.
“Oho … ohoho … ohohohohohohohoho!”
“... Eh? We can laugh? Really? Oh, okay. Ahem … ahahhahahahahahaha~”
“Ohohohohoho … of course, why shouldn’t we laugh?”
“I mean, you just said you were immune to holy magic and got booted into the air. To me, that’s really funny. But to you, I thought that’d be terrible.”
“Why, it would be terrible … if this were holy magic.”
“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?”
I looked on in triumph.
Indeed, the evil which resided here failed to account for the presence of someone whose very being could sweep aside falsehoods as easily as garden critters!
“Behold, Coppelia! Through my natural holy magic immunity, I can personally confirm that the seal before us is nothing more than a ploy!”
“You what now?”
“It’s a mere deception orchestrated by the evil which resides in that tent! Why, we were mistaken! This is not a holy seal. It’s the opposite. A magical barrier masquerading as a holy seal!”
That’s right!
That barrier was there to prevent intruders, not to imprison whatever lay within!
“Ehhh … I dunno. It’s glowing all prettily and stuff. I don’t think evil does pretty.”
“Evil wears whatever facade is necessary. This is why the enthrallment still persists. The barrier is there to defend the source while also offering a mask of deception. Those who view it as a holy seal would be less likely to destroy it.”
“Soooooo, back to destroying the holy seal?”
My smile only deepened as I immediately strode forwards, returning to just before the spot where I was crudely launched across the chasm.
“A weak gambit,” I told whatever resided across the barrier. “For neither falsehoods nor magic can stop my righteous pursuit to toss each poorly seasoned courge musquée boulangère beneath the dining table. Your deceit is the fabrication of a lesser power. And I will not be denied a single footstep.”
I raised Starlight Grace as it gleamed like a kaleidoscope.
A single star amidst the darkness, held by one whose angelic nature could only ever empower it. And then without a single hint of concern I was about to be launched to the clouds where I belong, I courageously poked my sword forward.
The way I held my breath while wincing? The picture of bravado.
The way I turned my face away while tensing my body? The epitome of valour.
The way a bead of sweat rolled down my temple as I imagined Coppelia’s endless laughter? Poor ventilation.
Thus–
Tap.
The tip of my sword poked the golden barrier.
“... Nnnnghhhhhh … ?”
Unbeknownst to myself, a strange noise emanated from my lips as I anchored my boots to the ground.
A moment later … I witnessed as the golden barrier shattered like glass.
Pwwoooooooooosh!
With only the single, lightest tap of my storied blade, the magical defences of whatever abomination hid in that yellow tent broke.
Fleeing before my superior will, bulbs of golden light were sent scattering like pollen in the wind, leaving only a tiny slope threatening a twisted ankle to prevent my coming. I blinked as the light dispersed high into the stale air, lighting up the depths like a thousand fireflies.
And then … I raised my hand to my lips and laughed.
“Ohhoohhohohooho!” I turned to my loyal handmaiden. “So … So easy! Behold the feebleness of all that stands before my heavenly purpose! No barrier can do more than shrivel beneath the lightest of my taps! Why, I didn’t even need to exert any pressure!”
Oddly, Coppelia reacted to my immaculate display with a thoughtful hum.
“Ehh … I don’t think it’s meant to be that easy?”
“Nonsense. My mere touch is enough to cow the darkest of shadows! … Even if it is glowing and slightly pretty!”
Pressing her finger to her cheeks, Coppelia tilted her head slightly, eyes gazing up at the golden pollen as it began to swirl.
Swirl. And not at all dissipate.
Instead, they floated like lost fireflies, occasionally bouncing off one another as they careened in the manner of drunkards in the night. At least until they stopped bouncing and started converging.
I looked up with only the smallest, yes, absolutely smallest amounts of alarm and possibly regret as the golden pollen began to gather into a twisting ball.
It pulsed for a moment with energy, and then a warmth reminiscent of a summer’s morning as it began to take shape in the air above me.
First came the silhouette.
A towering, golden figure indented with lashes of fiery white light marking the sharp angles of armour. Then came the outline of a greatsword, a blazing weapon of ardent flames held at the hilt with two gauntleted hands, the tip pointed downwards to stab at some unseen earth.
And yet it wasn’t the weapon which drew my attention. But the pair of eyes whiter than the fear of my servants as they rushed to answer my calling bell before the first chime had finished sounding.
They flashed to life as two shimmering orbs of pure energy, setting the golden helmet which encased them further ablaze.
A gaze which was colder than any abyss.
“Mortals, heed my words. You stand before the judgement of Sir Morynth the Redeemer, Celestial Knight-Gallant of the Heavens, Exemplar to Lady Sophista, Goddess of Justice.”
My mouth opened wordlessly as the celestial knight’s words reverberated into my ears, quaking the very depths of the mines until bits of rock began to fall.
And then, I turned to Coppelia.
“This is not my fault.”
kayenano
Ohoho! Thank you so much for reading!
Join my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead!
And don't forget to check out the Discord for fun and pictures!
As a princess famed for my cold logic and unparalleled reasoning as much as my modesty, I’d envisaged a thousand and one scenarios regarding what horrors to expect at a destination labelled a hole into the abyss.
No matter what hideous creatures gathered from the darkness below or felled from black clouds, my kingdom could rest in the knowledge that I had a contingency for each and every scenario.
Naturally, the nature of this means that I cannot divulge exactly what that response would be, as offering it would jeopardise its very effectiveness. And now that the darkness at the depths of my kingdom was revealed, my stratagems would have to remain locked in a puzzle box of secrecy.
Because, as it turned out–
What appeared at the bottom of the hole was the 1,002nd scenario.
Of all the disappointments I expected to see at the bottom of a hole, a bright yellow tent wasn’t one of them.
“Very well,” I said to my loyal handmaiden, as we duly stared down at the little yellow tent in its somewhat cute little enclosure. “I shall offer my congratulations to the evil of Stermondt. It has managed to utterly blindside me.”
“I like it~” replied Coppelia, leaning forwards as she looked to and fro. “If we ever get a tent of our own in the bottom of a hole, we should also make it yellow. It really stands out.”
I briefly turned Starlight Grace away, smothering the hole within a hole with total darkness once again.
Surprisingly, the tent remained lit for several moments.
I nodded.
Yellow it is, then.
“Coppelia … do you have any inkling on why a tent would be pitched in the bottom of a mine, lacking in soft grass, coursing water, natural lighting and any amenities whatsoever?”
“It has shelter. That’s important.”
“Yes, I suppose it truly is immune from the elements down here. The famed raging tornadoes of my kingdom will not damage this tent.”
“Does your kingdom have raging tornadoes?”
“No.”
“Aww. Well, I don’t know why it’s here, but I do know what’s here. Sort of. It’s evil.”
“True. Tents are representative of a wayfarer’s lifestyle which has no place in any civilised nation.”
“No, I mean what’s inside it. It’s an evil presence. And by that, I mean classic evil. The type you only get from something literally made of evil. And that means there’s probably something super strong in that yellow tent.”
I prepared my finest scowl in advance.
Acknowledgements were in order. Anything which preemptively earned my brows creasing more than 15 degrees was an irritant worthy of commendation.
Just before I removed it, of course.
“Clearly, it’s no beast dredged from below residing in a tent. A mage, perhaps?”
“Hmmmm. An evil mage with enthrallment spells. I can think of at least a dozen things with that kind of power. Most of them undead. Or trying to be undead.”
“Excellent. Then we may have no qualms about conducting a surprise attack utterly devoid of chivalry or fairness.”
“... Eh? Is attacking with chivalry or fairness an option, then?”
“No. But I enjoy the rare bonus of a justification.”
Coppelia giggled in agreement.
After all, few things were more satisfying than taunting a fallen foe with the veneer of pretext. The thinner, the better.
“You know, it could be anything inside that tent. Aren’t you worried if a lich comes out, rubbing their eye sockets after you wake them up?”
“No. Because not only do I have no intention of permitting them to wake up, I see little reason why a lich should concern me.”
“Well, liches are indisputably the most powerful type of undead. They have necromatic spellcasting, a life draining touch, functional immortality and dark empowered armour.”
“They’re also undead.”
“I mean, that’s usually a bonus in their favour too.”
I raised my hand to my lips and smiled.
“Ohohoho … please, that only means they’ve already died once. In which case, they can simply die again.”
“Uwaaah~ it’s totally going to be a lich.”
“Please, Coppelia. It’s a yellow tent. What could possibly be hiding in it that’s scary?”
“Probably something that needs a holy ward keeping it in.”
My querying look was answered by Coppelia leaning forwards. She jabbed at something unseen before her.
“There’s one here,” she explained. “Discreet. And therefore super powerful.”
I blinked, then narrowed my eyes as I peered ahead at the nothingness highlighted by my sword.
“What? A holy ward? Are you certain?”
“Coppelia Vision~”
Her short response was all the confirmation I required.
While I had reservations about Coppelia’s ability to make a béchamel sauce, I would never doubt her excellent vision. Or her talent for making me slightly more confused than I was a few seconds ago at any moment of her choosing.
“I see. So whatever undead horror is within the tent is already sealed?”
“I dunno. Evil undead things bent on world domination usually get their own tower. A fancy one too. I’ve never heard of one being sealed in a tent.”
“An ignominious way to have one’s ambitions curtailed. And yet I feel as though being already sealed would be topical information amongst the peasantry.”
“Hmm … it could’ve been done recently, secretly, or whoever did it perished in the process. It’s one of those three. Take your pick.”
I leaned in, continuing to spy for a hint of magic which my eyes failed to see.
Yet for what I lacked in clockwork vision, I gained in royal intuition. And that meant considerably more than three choices on any given menu.
“I choose the option where the holy ward has failed altogether.”
“No, wait, it’s definitely here.”
“A half-measure. The enthrallment effect still persists on the miners. And the evil which halts the mining operations still persists. Whatever this seal is, it is woefully inadequate. We’ve only one option remaining to us. The evil must be destroyed.”
Coppelia nodded, all the while pumping her fist in the air.
“Yay, we’re gonna break a holy seal imprisoning an unspecified evil thing, then watch as it all goes horribly wrong!~”
“Firstly, nothing is going to go wrong … or at least horribly wrong. Secondly, I have no reason to break the holy seal.”
“Eh?”
“I shall simply walk through it instead.”
My loyal handmaiden gave me a querying tilt of her head. She wore a rare expression of complete puzzlement. And perhaps slight concern.
Both well-founded, of course.
After all, holy wards were hardly the sort of instruments which people could stroll through like a public orchard which most certainly wasn’t mine. But I was a princess. And I was righteous.
Nothing with holy designs would seek to block my path.
“Ohohohoho … rest assured that I’m utterly immune to the effects of holy magic. That I have no respect for the Holy Church doesn’t deter from the fact that I’m still a favoured child with a soul as pure as spring water.”
I took a step forwards.
At the same time, Coppelia took a step back. And then more back. And then more back again.
I directed my smile at her.
“Coppelia?”
“Don’t mind me. Just keeping distance. You know, in case my less pure spirit rubs off on you.”
“Oh, I see.” I nodded before taking another step forwards. “True. You did drink from a basin of holy water as your latest misdemeanour against the Holy Church. No doubt an entire cloister of sisters have prayed menacingly about you by now. It’s only prudent to remain back if you cannot harmlessly bypass holy seals like I … hmm?”
I winced as I bumped into something very hard.
Confused, I rubbed the tip of my nose.
Pow!
“–Hiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!!!!”
A moment later, I found myself experiencing life as a fruit slime, punted backwards at breathtaking speed as I was violently ejected into the air.
The world blurred as I took to my role as a shooting star, my sword leaving a trail of light until I found myself being cushioned by Coppelia’s waiting arms once again.
“I’m not laughing,” said Coppelia, her lips tightly pursed. “I’m definitely not laughing.”
My eyes blinked several times.
Above me, Coppelia’s face wrinkled with iron discipline.
Thoroughly confused, I puzzled over why a seal consisting of holy magic would reject someone of my undiluted purity of spirit to pass through.
Eventually, I slowly detached myself from Coppelia and stared at the golden silhouette before me. A bubble now clearly visible in Starlight Grace’s light, shimmering with a gleam as wondrous as a rainbow over a waterfall.
And then–
My smile returned in full.
“Oho … ohoho … ohohohohohohohoho!”
“... Eh? We can laugh? Really? Oh, okay. Ahem … ahahhahahahahahaha~”
“Ohohohohoho … of course, why shouldn’t we laugh?”
“I mean, you just said you were immune to holy magic and got booted into the air. To me, that’s really funny. But to you, I thought that’d be terrible.”
“Why, it would be terrible … if this were holy magic.”
“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?”
I looked on in triumph.
Indeed, the evil which resided here failed to account for the presence of someone whose very being could sweep aside falsehoods as easily as garden critters!
“Behold, Coppelia! Through my natural holy magic immunity, I can personally confirm that the seal before us is nothing more than a ploy!”
“You what now?”
“It’s a mere deception orchestrated by the evil which resides in that tent! Why, we were mistaken! This is not a holy seal. It’s the opposite. A magical barrier masquerading as a holy seal!”
That’s right!
That barrier was there to prevent intruders, not to imprison whatever lay within!
“Ehhh … I dunno. It’s glowing all prettily and stuff. I don’t think evil does pretty.”
“Evil wears whatever facade is necessary. This is why the enthrallment still persists. The barrier is there to defend the source while also offering a mask of deception. Those who view it as a holy seal would be less likely to destroy it.”
“Soooooo, back to destroying the holy seal?”
My smile only deepened as I immediately strode forwards, returning to just before the spot where I was crudely launched across the chasm.
“A weak gambit,” I told whatever resided across the barrier. “For neither falsehoods nor magic can stop my righteous pursuit to toss each poorly seasoned courge musquée boulangère beneath the dining table. Your deceit is the fabrication of a lesser power. And I will not be denied a single footstep.”
I raised Starlight Grace as it gleamed like a kaleidoscope.
A single star amidst the darkness, held by one whose angelic nature could only ever empower it. And then without a single hint of concern I was about to be launched to the clouds where I belong, I courageously poked my sword forward.
The way I held my breath while wincing? The picture of bravado.
The way I turned my face away while tensing my body? The epitome of valour.
The way a bead of sweat rolled down my temple as I imagined Coppelia’s endless laughter? Poor ventilation.
Thus–
Tap.
The tip of my sword poked the golden barrier.
“... Nnnnghhhhhh … ?”
Unbeknownst to myself, a strange noise emanated from my lips as I anchored my boots to the ground.
A moment later … I witnessed as the golden barrier shattered like glass.
Pwwoooooooooosh!
With only the single, lightest tap of my storied blade, the magical defences of whatever abomination hid in that yellow tent broke.
Fleeing before my superior will, bulbs of golden light were sent scattering like pollen in the wind, leaving only a tiny slope threatening a twisted ankle to prevent my coming. I blinked as the light dispersed high into the stale air, lighting up the depths like a thousand fireflies.
And then … I raised my hand to my lips and laughed.
“Ohhoohhohohooho!” I turned to my loyal handmaiden. “So … So easy! Behold the feebleness of all that stands before my heavenly purpose! No barrier can do more than shrivel beneath the lightest of my taps! Why, I didn’t even need to exert any pressure!”
Oddly, Coppelia reacted to my immaculate display with a thoughtful hum.
“Ehh … I don’t think it’s meant to be that easy?”
“Nonsense. My mere touch is enough to cow the darkest of shadows! … Even if it is glowing and slightly pretty!”
Pressing her finger to her cheeks, Coppelia tilted her head slightly, eyes gazing up at the golden pollen as it began to swirl.
Swirl. And not at all dissipate.
Instead, they floated like lost fireflies, occasionally bouncing off one another as they careened in the manner of drunkards in the night. At least until they stopped bouncing and started converging.
I looked up with only the smallest, yes, absolutely smallest amounts of alarm and possibly regret as the golden pollen began to gather into a twisting ball.
It pulsed for a moment with energy, and then a warmth reminiscent of a summer’s morning as it began to take shape in the air above me.
First came the silhouette.
A towering, golden figure indented with lashes of fiery white light marking the sharp angles of armour. Then came the outline of a greatsword, a blazing weapon of ardent flames held at the hilt with two gauntleted hands, the tip pointed downwards to stab at some unseen earth.
And yet it wasn’t the weapon which drew my attention. But the pair of eyes whiter than the fear of my servants as they rushed to answer my calling bell before the first chime had finished sounding.
They flashed to life as two shimmering orbs of pure energy, setting the golden helmet which encased them further ablaze.
A gaze which was colder than any abyss.
“Mortals, heed my words. You stand before the judgement of Sir Morynth the Redeemer, Celestial Knight-Gallant of the Heavens, Exemplar to Lady Sophista, Goddess of Justice.”
My mouth opened wordlessly as the celestial knight’s words reverberated into my ears, quaking the very depths of the mines until bits of rock began to fall.
And then, I turned to Coppelia.
“This is not my fault.”
kayenano
Ohoho! Thank you so much for reading!
Join my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead!
And don't forget to check out the Discord for fun and pictures!
