Marian Steps into the Final Battle
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Leave it to me.”
I nodded at Duke Capella von Darius, who pounded his chest with his fist. With the World Tree’s advice and no way to just abandon the elves’ village, I’d asked him to defend the Great Forest. No, to the Empire, it would be reported that Duke Capella had seized the Great Forest outright. Unlike me, a figure like him would be hard for even the imperial palace to meddle with.
“D-did you find the elf you were looking for?”
“No clue. I turned the place upside down, but she’s nowhere.”
Duke Capella scowled at my question. He was pretending not to care, but the shake in his eyes showed his pure heart was still alive even at his age. Ignoring his feelings as best I could, I turned to the group.
“Let’s head out.”
The ones coming back to the capital with me were already ready. The dark elves, having finished their ritual, bowed their heads in thanks to me and my companions. The beastkin, who’d gained a new home, weren’t much different.
Huh?
I tilted my head at the sight of Marian whispering with Dalshinyang. They looked surprisingly close, without me even noticing.
I wondered if there’d been some trigger, but I didn’t need to know every detail about the group’s private lives, so I called out to her.
“Marian, hop on.”
“Pardon? Oh, y-yes!”
Having healed not just the dark elves and elves but even the beastkin’s wounded, I had her ride behind me. Karen naturally got behind Jena, and luckily, the elf queen and Lucille knew how to ride.
“Fighting, nya! Marian!”
I ignored Dalshinyang’s shout to Marian behind me and urged my horse forward. Our group, leaving the elf village behind, first arrived at Duke Capella’s Darius Duchy.
**
“I-I’ll attend you tonight…”
“What nonsense? It’s my turn this time!”
“…This is tricky. I need life force too, you know?”
Upon arriving in the Darius Duchy, Lucille watched the hero’s party bickering with a bewildered expression. Truth be told, her position in the hero party was awkward. It was different from Marian, Jena, and Karen, who’d been with the hero for years, and even from Isabela, who’d joined of her own volition.
She’d only followed because her master, the Light Sword, ordered it. Of course, Lucille was strong enough to rival her master, and she did feel fondness for the hero who’d saved her from Barkan. But the reality of the hero party far exceeded her imagination.
“This is my father’s territory. Naturally, hosting the guests is my duty…”
“Nonsense. I’ve got rewards from the hero still pending.”
“Ugly human bitches, can’t you just back off gracefully?”
“You big-eared bitch, don’t you know the order?”
The talk of attending the hero at night had devolved into personal attacks. Lucille felt her mind going blank as she started to stagger.
“W-what the hell is…”
But regardless of her shock, the women’s battle over one hero grew fiercer. The atmosphere alone suggested spells, spirits, and sword auras could fly any second.
Then Lucille spotted Marian. Unlike the others, quietly watching the chaos. She thought she’d finally found a normal person.
As expected of the Gaiana Church saintess!
“Marian, explain what’s going on here…”
Lucille approached her, but Marian didn’t answer. Feeling something off, Lucille looked closer and finally noticed her muttering.
“Today’s the chance, Marian. Today. Today. Miss this, who knows when the next one comes. You can do it, Marian. Be brave. You even wore special underwear, right? It’ll be fine. Everything’ll work out. The goddess will help you. Marian.”
Lucille shivered at the mutter, chills running down her spine. The one she’d thought most normal felt the most dangerous now.
“Sorry. I want to rest tonight.”
But the hero’s single word settled the chaos. Jena and Karen acquiesced, and even Isabela bowed her head with a flustered look. Lucille finally realized the hero was the group’s absolute ruler and dictator.
A-all over bedtime?
Lucille wasn’t a kid anymore and knew what went on between men and women. But what she’d seen since joining shattered her common sense. Usually, men were the ones desperate for bed, and the women in the party were all stunning beauties hard to find anywhere.
The hero wasn’t unattractive as a man, but this one-sided power dynamic was bizarre.
But her shock didn’t end there. Every power has its rebels.
“Don’t worry, Marian. This is actually good. The obstacles are gone now, right?”
Chills returned at Marian’s soliloquy from behind. She wondered if sticking with the hero party would turn her into one of them.
**
“One more.”
After the group dispersed, Marian headed to a tavern in the Darius Duchy. She downed the glass the barkeep poured in one go, savoring the burn in her gut as she recalled the elf territory events.
Go for it, nya! They say ten tries and he’ll fall, nya!
Unlike the others, Marian couldn’t approach the hero honestly—it was a fact. Even today, Karen and Jena had jumped to attend him at night, and the suddenly joining elf queen had too.
But her? She’d been the fool who said nothing. Marian Delarossi.
If you lack courage, drink and charge, nya! Booze is the true love potion, nya!
Recalling Dalshinyang’s advice, Marian kept chugging liquor she’d never touched before. Strangely, with each glass, one or two, an inexplicable courage welled up.
“One more.”
“…M-miss, maybe you should stop?”
“Tch! If it’s sweet, give it! I’ve got plenty of money.”
Marian slammed gold coins from the church onto the table. They were offerings for the church’s growth and the goddess’s faith, but to her now, it didn’t matter. Better she spent them than the rotten archbishops on nonsense—she thought it far more beneficial to the world.
Sex! Sex is how to bring the goddess’s love to earth, nya? Why else give humans cocks and pussies, nya?
Absurd nonsense, but to Marian, sunk in lust, it was salvation. Like a drowning man clutching a lifeline, she gripped Dalshinyang’s flimsy theory tight.
“Guh!”
Swallowing another gulp, Marian felt heat rising in her body. Her cheeks flushed like she was excited, strength surging then melting away endlessly.
Don’t worry, Marian. You’ve got plenty of charm, nya.
The hero’ll probably love it if you pounce—stick his dick right in, nya.
Her victory panties were soaked before she knew it, and with a lewd sensation came surging courage.
“Hngh…that seductive cat.”
Muttering, Marian stood. Her drunken body swayed dangerously. Late at night, a woman getting wasted alone in a tavern was risky, but in the Empire, few dared touch a drunk saintess.
“Today’s the day!”
Shouting who-knows-what, she stumbled out of the tavern. Naturally, toward the hero’s room.