Burning Retribution
The "Cute Prank and Burning Revenge" dungeon was damp, the air thick and foul, carrying an inexplicable sense of unease. It reminded me of those dark tunnels I'd occasionally visited during my military days, cockroaches clinging to the walls. The memory left a bad taste in my mouth. Part of me wanted to order Tirga to smash the whole place, but we'd just end up buried alive, so I kept the impulse in check.
We ran into goblins now and then, but they only saluted Richel and left us alone. Tirga and I were both itching for a fight, boredom pushing us to the edge of yawning, when noise erupted ahead. A goblin warband had surrounded an adventurer party and the battle was in full swing.
In any ordinary story I'd have charged in as reinforcements, but that wasn't happening today.
"They're decently armed and know how to fight," Richel observed.
"Richel-nim, shouldn't we intervene?" Ibre asked.
"Not yet. Let's watch a little longer."
So we stood there like spectators while the adventurers and goblins clashed. The six adventurers looked young, but they weren't complete rookies. Outnumbered, they still held their ground and even had the goblins on the back foot. Their formation was solid, their teamwork sharp. Even someone as clueless about fighting as me could tell they were good.
"Pathetic little vermin," Richel muttered.
"Shall we step in now, Sergeant Major?"
"Yes, Corporal Ibre. Let's see what you can do."
Ibre drew the elegant single-edged sword at her hip and settled into a stance. Was that what they called a saber? I'd seen something like it in games. In the next instant she closed the distance and sliced clean through one adventurer's arm. The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to rattle their morale.
The adventurers panicked. "Gods, heal him!" "Why the hell are the Elf Empire's guards here?!" "Drop your weapons! Resistance is pointless!"
They looked at us like we were death itself. The Empire's reputation must have been that bad. The orcs we'd dealt with earlier had reacted the same way. These elves weren't the peace-loving kind you read about in stories.
"Tirga, hold back for now."
"As you wish, Master."
This was a good chance to test how strong the Imperial Guard really was—and how well I could control the lightning I'd absorbed from Tirga. I focused, and sparks crackled along my fingers. Now how the hell did I aim this thing? Did I have to shout a skill name? I didn't even have a status window or skill list.
"Screw it!"
I swung my arm like I was throwing something. The lightning shot forward as a small orb, hit the ground, and exploded in a crackling blast that scattered the adventurers' formation. Every head turned toward me. So much for subtlety.
"Hostile in the rear!" "Take him out first!"
Tirga and Ibre moved in front of me like living shields. This was the beauty of party play. I was starting to get a feel for the lightning. If I spammed it like some overexcited superhero I'd burn out fast.
Richel drew her own blade and cast a spell. Dozens of sword-shaped icicles materialized in the air and rained down on the adventurers. So that was real fantasy magic. Why pull a sword if she was going to use magic, though? Maybe she was some kind of magic swordsman? Whatever. The details could wait.
Subduing people without killing or maiming them was a lot harder than it looked. The goblins were useless in a real fight, Richel was mostly just showing off, and even Ibre was visibly tiring. I couldn't watch this mess any longer.
"Tirga, take them down without killing them."
Trust the SSS-rank summon. Even inside the sealed cave, lightning bolts slammed down from the ceiling and roasted the adventurers just enough to drop them. If this were a gag manga their hair would have turned into afros.
"Impressive, Marquelon. You ended it in seconds."
"You're one to talk, Richel-nim. You could've handled them yourself without hiring me."
"Flattery. Honestly, I wanted to see your and the young lady's strength with my own eyes. You're a fine talent. If you were an elf instead of human, I'd recruit you into the Guard on the spot."
Richel ordered the goblins to bind the adventurers. The little creatures might have been worthless in combat, but they tied knots like professionals. The captives stayed conscious and started babbling.
"Quiet down unless you want another lightning bolt," I warned.
"All secured, Richel-nim."
"Good work. You'll get extra rewards today."
She tossed a bottle of pills to the goblins. They swarmed it, swallowed the unknown tablets, and immediately started acting like drugged lunatics. Then they dragged the female adventurer away, tore off her armor, and began raping her right there.
Well. I'd seen scenes like this in eroge and manga.
"Richel-nim, are we just leaving that?" Ibre asked quietly.
"It's fine. We don't need human women."
"They're adventurers. Won't the guild complain if we just take them?"
Richel gave me a pitying look. "Marquelon, you're still too ignorant of how the world works. Adventurers die or go missing all the time. No one cares."
"...Sorry. Stupid question."
"Adventurers are worthless. When they run out of money they turn to banditry and strut around like they're somebody. That's all they are."
We left the goblins to their drug-fueled orgy and dragged the bound male adventurers out of the cave. Women discarded, men kept. What a wonderfully pragmatic policy.
Once we reached a road wide enough for the truck, I summoned it and we drove back toward the city in comfort.
"Good work, Marquelon. Here's your promised payment."
"Thank you, Richel-nim."
Two gleaming gold coins. All I'd done was throw one lightning bolt and drive a truck. Easy money. Tirga had done all the real work, which was exactly why you wanted reliable subordinates.
I took Tirga's hand. I already knew what I wanted to do next. We were going back to the first village I'd encountered in this world—the one that had tried to sell me out to "heroes of justice." Time to return the favor.
After driving far from the city I summoned Solaris. The massive ironclad airship materialized in all its glory. This was the power of an SSR summon.
"Welcome aboard, Commander."
"Captain, we're looking for a village nearby. Tirga, do you remember the location of the first village we met?"
"Of course, Master. A true warrior never forgets a village she's raided."
Those bastards had tried to hand me over to some self-righteous heroes. Old saying: carve favors in stone, carve grudges in steel. Actually, I just made that up. It's my personal creed. Besides, I wanted to test Solaris's bombardment capability. The description said it carried ground-attack ordnance for sieges. Might as well run a live-fire test.
"Commander, the village you mentioned is now visible below."
"Drop one shell as a test."
"Prepare to fire!"
The dwarves scrambled. A moment later a single shell plummeted. A dull boom echoed, and when I looked outside a mushroom cloud was rising. So mushroom clouds weren't exclusive to nukes.
"One round dropped, Commander. Further orders?"
"Turn the village to ash."
Tirga and I moved to the lounge with the best view of the ground. Shell after shell fell, each one blooming into another mushroom cloud. The surface became a sea of fire. I wondered if this was how that lieutenant in the manga had felt watching London burn.
I couldn't help but sing. The timing, working with Nazi elves and all, felt perfect.
"Today we shall sing a song, drink cold grape wine~ And raise a toast."
My cock was already rock-hard, straining against my pants. I'd read once that in 18th-century Europe it was common for people to have sex while watching executions. Casanova's memoirs even mentioned a count who fucked a noblewoman from behind four times while she watched a beheading with her breasts exposed. This felt like that—only stronger. The dopamine rush was overwhelming, far more intense than when we'd wiped out the orc village. My lust was almost impossible to control.
"M-Master, here...?" Tirga stammered.
"Time for your reward, Tirga."
I grabbed her ass while the village burned below. It was every bit as full and firm as her breasts. I roughly yanked her pants down and stroked her ass and sex. She was already wet. I freed my aching cock and pushed inside the damp heat of the warrior woman's pussy. Just the head, and she was already clenching like she was trying to pull me deeper. The sensation was incredible.
"Damn, you're tight, Tirga."
"Hngh!"
I gripped her hips and started pounding her from behind. The wet slap of flesh meeting flesh filled the lounge, mixing with her moans and the obscene grip of her walls. Visuals included: an entire village burning to cinders right beneath us. The overload hit fast. I came hard, flooding her insides like a drunk vomiting, pumping what felt like an absurd amount of cum deep into her.
"Haa... Master, this kind of sex is nice too?"
"Right?"
We stayed connected, sharing lazy kisses while the afterglow lasted. When our legs finally started to give out we fixed our clothes.
Solaris's bombardment had been every bit as devastating as I'd hoped. Nothing remained but flame and collapsing buildings. Hell had descended on the surface. They said trying to build heaven on earth only created hell—so why not just make hell from the start?
A dwarf crewman entered the lounge and saluted. "Commander, bombardment complete as ordered."
"Good work. Stay a while and enjoy the view."
I poured myself a drink from the lounge bar and watched the village burn. Solaris wasn't just loaded with bombs; it had plenty of food and drink too. No more cheap inn meals or straw mattresses for a while. The view was excellent, the facilities luxurious. This really was a flying hotel.
Wait, hotel? A battleship hotel on the sea? Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about it.