Valkyrie's Shadow

Birthright: Act 5, Chapter 20

Birthright: Act 5, Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ludmila was so focused on her exchange with Lady Shalltear that she nearly put the burning ruins of the town right next to them out of her mind.

“What did you have in mind, my lady?” She asked.

“Well…” Lady Shalltear held up her hand, counting off a list with her fingers, “The town doesn’t seem to have any survivors, so I guess the fleeing mercenaries are next. After that, we can go after those people your party identified as ringleaders and such. Then…hmm…everyone else?”

“There are probably around 20,000 people left in Fassett County, my lady,” Ludmila said. “At least assuming our information is correct and half of the original population fled in the weeks after Katze. We’ll be here for quite a long time if you propose to hunt them all down.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out by the time we finish with the first few,” Lady Shalltear replied. “As for those...you have Ranger levels, yes?”

“I should be able to track them, if that is what you are asking,” Ludmila nodded. “Considering the time that has passed, they won’t be able to escape…though the border with Re-Estize is still only a half a day away for those unskilled in negotiating the wild: we should cut off any attempts to flee in that direction first.”

Seeing Lady Shalltear’s slight nod, Ludmila broke out into a light run around the remains of the town. She slowed down on the opposite end, where the highway continued onwards towards the border.

“It looks like a large group fled through here,” Ludmila said as she examined the disturbed terrain of their surroundings. “Most of them probably followed the highway, but it looks like a few split off into the forest.”

Several Vampire Wolves leapt out of Lady Shalltear’s shadow and dashed up the highway, accompanied by a swarm of bats.

“They should be able to find the ones along the road quickly,” Lady Shalltear said.

Ludmila plunged into the woods, weaving her way swiftly through the trampled undergrowth left in the wake of their quarry. The trail grew more ragged and the footprints left behind grew shorter; soon, she spotted men in familiar equipment forcing their way noisily through the trees not far ahead. She slowed her pace a distance behind the three mercenaries, who appeared oblivious to the fact that they were being pursued, considering how to best remove them.

The mercenaries in the employ of Count Fassett wore well-crafted chainmail over a quilted gambeson, so she wasn’t sure if she could do enough with a single arrow; it didn’t help that they were moving erratically as they struggled through the brush. She fished out four arrows with hardened steel bodkin points from one of the quivers at her hip, sniffing them lightly to make sure she had selected the right ones. She continued to stalk after them, following within twenty metres of the group until their meandering course straightened and she raised her longbow, drawing the fletching of the first arrow to her cheek.

The first point buried itself between the closest man’s shoulder blades, the second found the next man’s neck before the first fell to the ground. The third man ducked into the undergrowth, but the darkness of the night was not his ally. Ludmila took her time aiming at the prone man plainly visible behind the sparse cover, and the arrow found its way into the side of his ribs. She nocked her fourth arrow and waited for any signs of movement from the fallen men. After a minute, she rose and silently approached the fallen mercenaries, unsheathing her dagger to finish them off and recover her arrows.

Lady Shalltear approached from behind as Ludmila wiped her dagger clean on the third man’s gambeson and extinguished their smouldering torches.

“That didn’t seem very fun,” Lady Shalltear frowned down at the bodies. “Is that how you usually defend your territory?”

“If it comes down to a fight,” Ludmila replied in a low voice as she scanned the surroundings, “that was something close to ideal. Demihumans are usually a lot harder to stalk, though. These mercenaries are pr–”

She ceased speaking mid-sentence, sensing something. Drawing the fourth arrow, she pivoted slowly to track whatever it was. A fourth man came into her field of view, quietly crawling away roughly sixty metres beyond. After releasing her attack, she pulled another from her quiver, but stopped mid-draw as she saw the arrow bury itself in the man’s hip. The man staggered and rose to his feet, making it all of four metres before he fell onto his face.

“What happened there?” Lady Shalltear asked after Ludmila dealt with the fourth man.

“I’m not sure, my lady,” Ludmila answered. “I was concentrating on our surroundings and ended up sensing that man. I know what the feeling that accompanied it was, though: it’s the same feeling I had following the meeting at Wagner Manor, after I was able to reign everything in.”

“Was it magic? Some sort of ability? Can you feel anything now?”

Ludmila concentrated again, but the sensation was no longer present.

“There’s nothing now,” she said. “I don’t think it was magic. When I use it, I feel the slightest bit of strain: similar to when I use a command ability, but it’s constantly tying up a bit of my focus until I release it.”

“Do you know anyone with similar abilities?”

“No, my lady,” Ludmila replied, “but I’ve never actually asked anyone about something like this. The next time I have an opportunity, I’ll ask a few of the Rangers in the Adventurer Guild – it may be something commonly known to them.”

“Your family never told you anything about this?”

“I do come from a family of Rangers but, when it came to things like this, my parents tended to only instruct us when they thought we were ready. I think I have my oldest brother to blame for that: he heard about something early and broke a whole lot of things trying to use some sort of bow technique.”

“Can you recall that bow technique, then?”

“Uh…no,” Ludmila said. “After my mother was through with him, I put it far out of my mind – she was much more intimidating than my father ever was.”

“That’s unfortunate…well, let’s return and find the next group.”

“Did your Household find anything, my lady?”

“There were quite a number of dead men strewn about further along the highway,” Lady Shalltear replied. “By the looks of it, the Shadow Demons got to them long before we arrived.”

Lady Shalltear wrapped her hand around Ludmila’s elbow.

“?Greater Teleportation?.”

Ludmila’s vision shifted, and they appeared once again at the ruins of Fassett Town.

“Uuaah!”

There was a startled cry to the side of them, and Ludmila turned her head to see Lord Mare’s trembling form, holding his staff high above his head in both hands.

“Oh, it’s Mare.”

Lady Shalltear released her hold and came forward as Ludmila lowered her head respectfully towards him.

“What are you doing here?” Lady Shalltear asked.

“Big sis chased me out of bed saying there was a report of strange weather,” Lord Mare answered. “Then I found…this.”

Lord Mare stretched out his staff towards the remains of the town.

“This…this…this…”

“That was me,” Lady Shalltear said. “I cast Storm of Vengeance.”

“I can see that!” Lord Mare said plaintively, “Three of them, even! Didn’t Lord Ainz say that we’re not supposed to attack the citizens?”

“Without just cause, yes,” Lady Shalltear sniffed. “These citizens were proven to be actively working counter to Lord Ainz’s Will.”

“Oh, ok.”

Lord Mare turned his gaze back towards the ruins of the town. After a few moments, a small frown appeared.

“Didn’t Albedo say that everything is supposed to be presentable for the event in a few weeks?” He said, “You just left a giant, flaming, acid-filled crater in the middle of the main road.”

“Why, you’re absolutely correct!” Lady Shalltear replied with a brilliant smile, “How fortunate that someone who can patch this up is here.”

“Eh? Eh??? W-wait! I wanted to add some more sections to the Adventurer Training Area…”

“You’re going right back to sleep after this anyways, aren’t you?” Lady Shalltear coaxed him, “I sent Kyouhukou to help you out, didn’t I? A lot of the pop mobs you’ll be using will be coming out of my place as well.”

“Uuuu…”

“Also…I don’t see any escorts around, so it must mean that shorty is around somewhere too, right? Call her over here – there’s something I’d like to ask her about.”

Lord Mare turned around, pressing a gloved hand to his ear. As he looked out towards the town, he kicked a pebble into the pools of green liquid nearby and it disappeared with a hiss.

“Was there anything else?” He turned back around again to address them, “Big sis says she’ll be here once she finishes checking on some things.”

Several seconds of silence passed before Lord Mare started to turn towards the town again. He stopped when Ludmila began to speak.

“Lord Mare,” she said. “There are some crops being cultivated across the border in Re-Estize, and the plants are starting to grow into the Sorcerous Kingdom. As a Druid, do you have any ways to control their spread?”

“What kind of plants are they?”

“It’s a type of plant called Laira,” she replied. “It is contraband by the laws of the Sorcerous Kingdom and Re-Estize.”

“Why?”

“It’s harmful to Humans, my lord.”

“Ah – you mean they’re like that vine that bit you the other day.”

“Er…no, my lord,” Ludmila waved away the embarrassing episode rising out of her memory. “It is refined into a narcotic called Laira Powder, more commonly known as Black Dust. Even the fumes from burning the unprocessed plants are dangerous.”

“What are the effects?” Lord Mare seemed to show interest in the topic.

“As I understand it, extended exposure causes permanent brain damage.”

“A debuff, huh…what sort of buffs does it give?”

“None that I know of, my lord,” Ludmila said. “The only practical application that I’ve heard described is to pacify Human populations where they need to be controlled as slaves.”

“I see…”

Lord Mare was silent for a moment as he appeared to consider the information provided, then he turned to Lady Shalltear.

“Despoil?”

“It would certainly put an end to it if I cast that,” Lady Shalltear replied, “but it also would kill every plant in the area and curse the land forever as well.”

“I-I guess you’re right…” Lord Mare said, “I figured we could just make a wide gap of despoiled land along the border so nothing could grow across, and I could clean it up a bit to make sure the edges are nice and straight.”

“The whole border?” Lady Shalltear frowned, “How many weeks would that take us? Albedo would have fits seeing how much potentially productive territory was turned into a cursed wasteland too.”

“Mmh…well, I’ll take a look at this grass once I finish here – maybe I can move some animals over that can graze it away. Does the stuff growing in Re-Estize matter?”

“Re-Estize’s problems are it’s own to deal with,” Ludmila said. “The Sorcerous Kingdom currently has no obligation to expend resources on their behalf, nor has Re-Estize requested our assistance.”

Lord Mare cast an unblinking stare at her before turning to look at Lady Shalltear, who nodded.

“In that case,” he said, “p-please stand back: I need space to move stuff around after I see what the surroundings are like.”

“Thank you very much for your help, Lord Mare,” Ludmila said.

“Un…n-no problem,” Lord Mare nodded before he turned around to trace his way around the remains of the town.

Ludmila and Lady Shalltear moved away from the ruins, stopping several hundred metres away.

“I hope I didn’t speak out of turn, my lady,” Ludmila said.

“Hm? Oh, I don’t think you did anything wrong – Mare was probably more surprised than anything else. The Adventurers that he’s been working with are more plain spoken, but the citizens for the most part do not interact so freely with His Majesty’s servants.”

“Is there a proper form that I should be observing, then?” Ludmila asked.

“Most of us are nowhere near as reserved and formal as you,” Lady Shalltear answered. “You should have few worries in your interactions: as long as it is understood that your contributions are in accordance with His Majesty’s Will, and as long as you are not being perceived as being disrespectful.

“There are some you will need to be wary of, however: Cocytus is quite stern but…well, you appear to be more of his sort so you may actually have a better read on his sensibilities than I do. Albedo is malevolently disdainful of outsiders, so it is probably best to observe a high degree of decorum with someone as prideful and contemptuous as her – masking your thoughts and feelings and relying on facts and figures would be more productive and less hazardous.”

“I understand, my lady,” Ludmila lowered her head. “Thank you.”

Lady Shalltear’s words reminded her of one more thing. Ludmila reached into the small satchel at the back of her belt and withdrew the pristine white mask.

“I believe I should return this to you,” she said as she offered the mask to Lady Shalltear.

“Ah, yes…the name, and the mask – how did they work out for you?”

Her liege held out her hand to receive the item as Ludmila pondered how she should reply. Aside from thoroughly confusing Count Fassett, she didn’t feel that the mask had accomplished anything.

“The name – Camilla – is quite gratifying, my lady. I am deeply touched that you would regard me in such a light, and it served to reinforce my conviction as your vassal during the days that we spent here. As for the mask…what purpose was supposed to serve?”

“To…cover your face?” Lady Shalltear tilted her head.

Ludmila felt a frown growing on her face.

“I’m just teasing you,” Lady Shalltear said with a slight smile. “I had an acquaintance commit the item to memory, so she could attempt to divine its location should you go missing. Since it’s a part of one of my outfits, it is quite high level as well: the defensive properties are far beyond the comprehension of the locals here…ah yes, it was to remind me of one other thing as well.”

Lady Shalltear raised the mask to her face. As it adjusted itself to fit her, the rest of her ballroom gown shimmered and was replaced with a pure white dress which glowed faintly in the light of the fires nearby. The layered, diaphanous fabrics of her outfit were intricately embroidered in silver thread, creating a shimmering array in concert with the jewelry adorned about her figure. Large, gemmed brooches fastened the light silks woven about her form like strands of glowing moonlight. Her appearance was reminiscent of a pristine field of virgin snow, glimmering in the soft illumination.

“I believe I said that I would display some pieces of my wardrobe for you a while ago,” Lady Shalltear swirled her skirts, revealing the sparkling crystal heels on her feet. “What do you think?”

Faced with the vision of ephemeral beauty before her, Ludmila felt that she lacked the vocabulary to properly describe what she perceived. The outfit covered Lady Shalltear’s form almost entirely, and the only signs of her other appearance were the exposed skin of her nape and ears, as well as the long, taloned fingers coming out of the fingerless gloves. The alabaster frills fluttered lightly in the night wind as she tried to form an appropriate response.

“Aside from your usual gown, my lady,” she finally said, “I’ve never seen such fantastic clothing in my life. I’m afraid I don’t even have the sense to appreciate it’s full value. Luzi would surely be beside herself in excitement.”

“My wardrobe contains a vast selection far beyond that which you may see in these lands,” Lady Shalltear said proudly. “I have everything from nightwear to full sets of matching armour and weapons. I’ve even picked out a few that I think will be useful to you in at least a couple of areas. I believe they’ll suit you quite well…would you like to use them?”

“Thank you, my lady,” Ludmila bowed slightly, “but I feel that I am undeserving of such exquisite adornment. If what you wear is representative of what is offered…it seems a regalia for an empress or a mythical figure spun from song. Wearing something so far above my station would make me feel uncomfortable to the point that I would end up stuffing it in my trunk to be hidden away forever – then I would probably throw myself in the river for stuffing such priceless clothing into an old wooden trunk.”

“That’s a bit…extreme, don’t you think?” Lady Shalltear removed her mask to look at her with a furrowed brow. “I heard the Adventurer Guild was having a hard time securing good equipment as well…you’re not going to kill yourself over that ring I just gave to you, I hope.”

“This ring is accompanied by duty, and a solemn oath,” Ludmila twisted the band idly between a finger and her thumb. “I would not have accepted it otherwise.”

“I should really introduce you to Cocytus one of these days,” Lady Shalltear said ruefully. “For all of your apparent pragmatism, you both impose the same sort of rigid sensibilities on yourselves. Everything he bestows upon his own vassals seems to follow the same lines of thought, as well. I suppose this can wait until I can find some duty of ‘equivalent value’ for you – just don’t come crying to me every time you resurrect from something that could have been very easily prevented.”

Lady Shalltear’s last line seemed quite ominous, but Ludmila lowered her head again with nothing more to say, thankful for the respite.