The Elf Forest (1)
The rescue party gathered at the designated location, taking stock of their numbers. They had scattered to avoid pursuit, yet contrary to their fears, they had escaped with ease—no pursuers on their trail. Still, they had lost more members than expected. Even among the Queen's elite guard, the casualty rate among the female soldiers was especially severe.
They probably wouldn't be killed—but judging by the Hero's condition, what awaited them would be a humiliation far worse than death. Thinking of the elves who had sacrificed themselves to free the Hero, Erwen examined her condition. Still unconscious, the Hero continued to leak sexual fluids from between her legs, moaning and writhing with every step of the person carrying her.
"Nnghiii♡♡♡♡♡"
Erwen turned to one of the few elves in the rescue party who could still manage healing magic.
"…Can you tell what was done to her?"
"With the knowledge I have, all I can say is that several drugs and a magic device were used. Beyond that, I don't know. And that device is deflecting my detection magic."
"…Then can you treat her? She's still pouring out that strange fluid, and she keeps moaning like she's in pain…"
"That… no. I wouldn't know. But the Elders might."
The elf soldier fumbled the answer, thrown by Erwen's pure-hearted question. She simply did not have the courage to say that the Hero had been climaxing so frantically she had sprayed herself empty and finally passed out from exhaustion.
Once the party finished reorganizing, they set out toward the Elf Forest. Worried that the Hero still would not wake, Erwen took charge of her herself—fashioning magical clothing and a stretcher, and carrying her personally.
It's really just an application of binding magic… but it's better than leaving her naked the whole way.
The crudely woven garments and stretcher, however, proved to be the final blow to the Hero's hypersensitive body.
Her pathetic clitoris—denied even the covering of panties—shuddered every time it scraped against the coarse fibers, and her swollen, enlarged breasts reacted at once, nipples stiffening as if begging to be touched. Worse still, the faint residual mana left in the magically crafted fabric was more than enough for the clit-ring device to register as resistance.
Crack—
"Nnghoooook♡♡♡♡♡ I'm sorry, Master♡♡♡"
"Kanna! What is it?! Everyone, combat ready!"
"Ughiiiik♡♡♡♡ Useless bitch♡♡ Please spare me♡♡♡♡"
The electric jolt lancing through her clit tore words of submission from the Hero's mouth by pure reflex. Erwen, certain some vile Imperial trick had been triggered, frantically scanned their surroundings—never once imagining that her own kindness had set the Hero off.
And so the rescue party, wary of Imperial pursuers who did not even exist, slowed their pace even further.
After confirming there were no enemies nearby, Erwen hoisted the Hero onto her back once more. The Hero's screams rang out from the stretcher again and again, but Erwen and her companions would not learn the true cause until after they reached the Elf Forest.
Around the time the rescue party left the Empire to free the Hero—
Titania, who had committed most of her remaining guard to support the rescue, lay fully restrained and naked. The last of her escorts had all been killed or captured, and even she—who had resisted to the end—had collapsed the moment the Elders produced a strange black scroll.
"[Do not resist.]"
A black collar had already formed around her struggling throat, and before she could even register it, a single word from an Elder drained every ounce of strength from her body. She crumpled. Powerless on the ground, she stared up at the Elders in confusion.
"What is the meaning of this?! Elder Even!!! Why are you doing this?"
"Your Majesty. It is time you accepted a new order. The Demon King is gone—what reason remains to keep bleeding for the forest, fighting monsters day after day?"
"That is impossible. So long as the World Tree stands, monsters drawn by mana will flock to this forest no matter what. You know that better than I do!!!"
"Ah—allow me to explain that part."
From among the Elders stepped a human she had never seen before. The sudden appearance of a man startled her—then she remembered her own state of undress and flushed scarlet. The man paid her embarrassment no mind whatsoever, fondling her enormous breasts as he continued speaking.
"So the real problem is that the monsters spawning in the forest are drawn to the World Tree's mana and gather here, correct?"
"Kh—how dare you—!"
Titania tried to resist, but with a body that would not move, all she could manage was a helpless thrashing. The motion only made her breasts bounce, which seemed to amuse the man all the more.
"No need to put on a show. I'll explain, so [stay still]."
At those words her body locked in place, and she had no choice but to listen to every word he said.
"So what if there were a lure other than the World Tree? Something durable—something that keeps the monsters satisfied so they never wander off to cause damage elsewhere, and keeps drawing them in forever. A perfect solution."
"If… if such a thing existed, that would be wonderful, but if that was your proposal, you hardly needed to go about it like this. I would have pursued it myself."
The man's offer was so seductive she nearly bit—but the Elders' and the man's demeanor made it clear this was nothing that could be obtained cleanly. Hearing her answer, the man burst into laughter as if it were the funniest thing in the world, then pressed on.
"Haha, don't worry. You can still pursue it 'yourself,' even now."
"What do you mean? Call this off, then. Yes… if we restore order now and compensate the guards who were harmed, I will forgive what has happened here."
Of course, a naked queen bound on the floor had no real choices—but rather than endure this forced degradation, she would take the lesser evil. The Elders and the man, however, did not so much as change expression.
"No. You will experience it 'yourself'—with that body. You there, bring it. Quickly."
At the man's order, other humans hurried forward carrying a small glass case. The transparent box left nothing to the imagination, fully displaying the repulsive creatures packed inside.
Within it, countless small monsters known as tentacles writhed in a dense mass, coiling around one another and secreting thick, sticky mucus. Titania could not hide her revulsion and turned her face away—then the man's earlier words slammed back into her mind.
Don't tell me… when he said experience it 'yourself'…
The man pointed at the case and continued.
"These are tentacles modified by the Empire. Their primary food is the sexual fluids and mana of powerful women. Once they feed, they convert that energy into a mana wavelength nearly identical to the World Tree's and radiate it outward."
"You filth!! Modifying monsters is something only the Demon King can do!!!! Have you colluded with the Demon King? You… you traitors who have abandoned humanity!!!!!"
Rage flooded her at his explanation. Grafting animals was something even humans could manage—but remaking monsters was a power belonging solely to the Demon King.
The Demon King was said to have been executed in the Empire, yet it was now plain they had been cooperating with her behind the scenes.
"Collusion? Heh heh—if you want to call it that, fine. Setting that aside, the important point is this: with these monsters, the elves no longer need to bleed every day defending the forest."
"By continuously offering women to that abomination? I would rather fight to the death a hundred times over."
So they were scum who had taken the Demon King's hand. The Queen swore that no torture would ever make her cooperate with them. Above all, the horror before her eyes was undeniable proof of their betrayal of humanity. Even if she died here, she would not let their will be done.
"Erwen… forgive me. I leave the rest to you."
She offered a final apology to her precious daughter, then prepared her last act of self-destruction. As Queen, she had long accumulated the World Tree's mana within herself. She would detonate that power—using her own body, bound to the World Tree, as the fuse—and take everyone in this place with her.
"[Self-harm is forbidden.]"
Her final resistance vanished in an instant at a single word from the man. Her body obeyed his command over her own will, as if it had already accepted him as its master.
"Kh… then just kill me."
"We can't do that. Your Majesty is a valuable resource. With that body that never ages, we'll help you serve forever."
As if his business were finished, the man passed various instructions to the Elders and vanished. The Queen was left naked on the floor once more, subjected to one "procedure" after another as the Elders systematically rendered her helpless. They moved with brisk efficiency—stripping her of consciousness, then taking their pleasure with her body.
"I think we've enjoyed ourselves enough. Shall we test the merchandise?"
"Already? I thought they said it would be useless if it broke."
"So long as the Queen remains connected to the World Tree, she will never go mad. Stop fretting and put it in."
And so, until the day Erwen and the Hero arrived at the forest, the Queen spent her days sealed inside the glass case—screaming without end.